Evaluation Of Friction Losses In Pipes And Fittings Of Process Engineering Plants

ABSTRACT: The impact of flow rate (Q) on the head loss (hL) in pipes and fittings was studied on different sizes or diameters (D) of pipes fitted with gate valve, 45 and 90o bends using water as process fluid. Diameters of pipes ranged from 25 to 100 mm while the process fluid flow rates ranged from 0 to 50 m3/h. The Darcy-Weisbach, Hazen-Williams and Poisselli�s methods were used to evaluate friction losses. The results showing increasing D of the pipe and decreasing the hL in the pipe line, gate valve, 45o and 90o elbow, entry and exits to pipes are presented. The results of increasing Q with increasing exponential values of hL regardless of D of pipe also presented. Therefore, a number of choices can be made between transporting process fluids using small D pipes (50>D>25 mm) and Reynolds (Re) numbers in the laminar region and large D pipes (100>D>50 mm) using Re numbers in turbulent regions.

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