Fluid Mechanics: Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics, 7th Edition,

Bruce R. Munson. Theodore H. Okiishi. Alric P. Rothmayer

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.l, 2013

Lecture- 08
Internal Flows
(laminar pipe flow)
Dr. Dhafer Manea Hachim AL-HASNAWI
Assist Proof
Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University
Engineering Technical College / Najaf
email:coj.dfr@atu.edu.iq
 Learning Objectives
• After completing this Lecture, you should be able to:
1. identify and understand various characteristics of the
flow in pipes.
2. discuss the main properties of laminar pipe flow.
3. calculate losses in straight portions of pipes as well as
those in various pipe system components.
4. apply appropriate equations and principles to analyze
a variety of pipe flow situations.
5. predict the flow rate in a pipe by use of common flow
meters.
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 Outline
• Overview of Viscous Pipe Flow
• Laminar Pipe Flow
• Dimensional Analysis of Pipe Flow
• Pressure Gradients Effects
• Some Example Problems

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 Viscous Pipe Flow: Overview
Pipe Flow is important in daily operations and is described in general as
flow in a closed conduit (pipes and ducts). It is also known as an internal
flow.
Some common examples are oil and water pipelines, flow in blood vessels,
and HVAC ducts.
When real world effects such as viscous effects are considered, it is often
difficult to use only theoretical methods. Often theoretical, experimental data,
and dimensional analysis is used,

Some common pipe flow

components are shown:

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 Viscous Pipe Flow: Overview
Pipe flow versus Open-channel flow:
Open-Channel Flow:
Pipe Flow:

•Pipe is completely filled with fluid •Pipe is not full of fluids

•Pressure Gradients drive the flow •Pressure gradient is constant
•Gravity can also be important •Gravity is the driving force

i.e., flow down a concrete spill way.

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 Viscous Pipe Flow: Flow Regime
Osborne Reynolds Experiment to show the three regimes Laminar, Transitional,
or Turbulent:

Laminar

“Experiment”:

Transitional

Turbulent

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 Viscous Pipe Flow: Flow Regime
If we measure the velocity at any given point with respect to time in the pipe:

Re > 4000

Reynolds Number
Dependency: 2100< Re < 4000

Re < 2100

1. Turbulence is characterized by random fluctuations.

2. Transitional flows are relatively steady accompanied by occasional burst.
3. Laminar flow is relatively steady.

For laminar flow there is only flow direction:

For turbulent flow, there is a predominate flow direction, but there are
random components normal to the flow direction:
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 Viscous Pipe Flow: Entrance and Fully Developed
The entrance region in a pipe flow is quite complex (1) to (2):
The fluid enters the pipe with nearly uniform flow.
The viscous effects create a boundary layer that merges.
When they merge the flow is fully developed.

There are estimates for determining the entrance length for pipe flows:

and

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 Viscous Pipe Flow: Entrance and Fully Developed
For very low Reynolds numbers (Re = 10), the entrance length is short:
For large Reynolds number flow the entrance length can be several pipe
diameters:

For many practical engineering problems:

Bends and T’s affect Fully Developed Flow:
Pipe is fully developed until the character of the pipe changes.
It changes in the bend and becomes fully developed again after some length
after the bend.
Many disruptions can cause the flow to never be
fully developed.

In many flows, the fully developed region is greater than the developing region.

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 Viscous Pipe Flow: Pressure and Shear Stress

The shear stress in laminar flow is a direct result of momentum transfer along the
randomly moving molecules (microscopic).
The shear stress in turbulent flow is due to momentum transfer among the
randomly moving, finite-sized bundles of fluid particles (macroscopic).
The physical properties of shear stress are quite different between the two.

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 Fully Developed Laminar Flow: Overview
Both turbulent and laminar flows become fully developed in long enough straight
pipes. However, the details of the two flows are quite different.

Some important quantities that we calculate: velocity profiles, pressure drop, head
loss, and flow rate.

Although most flows are turbulent rather than laminar, and many pipes are not
long enough to allow the attainment of fully developed flow, a fully understanding
of fully developed laminar flow is important.

This study is the basis for more complex analysis, and there are some cases
where these assumption are good.

The equations or a description can be obtained in three different ways (1)

Momentum applied to a fluid element, (2) Navier-Stokes equations, and (3)
dimensional analysis methods.

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 Fully Developed Laminar Flow: Fluid Element Method
Basic Pipe flow is governed by a balance of viscous and pressure forces.

Consider and cylindrical fluid element within a pipe:

Free-Body Diagram:

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 Fully Developed Laminar Flow: Fluid Element Method
Now since neither the pressure gradient nor the length depend on r, the
R.H.S. must also be independent of r.
Then, Then at r = 0, t =0, and at r = D/2, t is the wall shear stress.

Now,

The shear profile is linear.

A small shear stress can produce a large pressure difference if the pipe is
relatively long.
The shear stress for laminar Newtonian Flow:

Velocity decreases from the center-line.

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Fully Developed Laminar Flow: Fluid Element Method
Now, recall

Substitute, the shear stress definition, and rearrange:

Integrate,

Apply the boundary conditions, no-slip, u =0 at r = D/2, and solve for C1:

Vc = centerline velocity

Also, we can write in terms of shear stress:

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 Fully Developed Laminar Flow: Fluid Element Method
Find the Volumetric Flow Rate:

The average velocity is V.

The average velocity is 1/2Vc

or, Hagen-Poiseuille Flow

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 Fully Developed Laminar Flow: Fluid Element Method
Some general remarks:
1. The flowrate is directly proportional to the pressure drop.
2. The flowrate is inversely proportional to the viscosity.
3. The flowrate is inversely proportional to the pipe length.
4. The flowrate is directly proportional to the pipe diameter to the 4th power.
We could adjust the equations for non-horizontal pipes:

Mean Velocity:

Volumetric Flow:

Lastly, we could develop these flows from Navier-Stokes as in Lecture 8.

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 Fully Developed Laminar Flow: Dimensional Analysis
Important Variables:
Density is not important because of “fully developed”

Number of dimensionless groups:

Two dimensional groups:

If we state that the pressure drop has to be directly proportional to l:

Or, solving for V, and substituting in Q:

C in this case must be determined by experimental analysis. It is 32 for
circular pipes.
Now, return to
and divide by dynamic pressure

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 Fully Developed Laminar Flow: Dimensional Analysis
Now, simplifying,

Now, rewriting, f is the Darcy Friction Factor (dimensionless).

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