Piping pressure losses

The sum of velocity head valves and fittings, and the frictional pipe run loss with the static head gain or loss, make up the entire pipe pressure loss ... 

Water is pumped into a pipe at the rate of 250 kg/hr at 950 kPa and 175°C. Because of friction in the pipe, pressure losses due to pipe fittings and valves, the pressure at the exit of the pipe drops to 760 kPa. Is the entering water liquid, vapor, or a mixture of both Determine the fraction of each. Is the exit water liquid, vapor, or both Determine the fraction of each. From the steam tables or similar source, determine the density of the overall mixture in the pipe at both locations. How many degrees of freedom exist according to the phase rule at each location ... 

Clean and modify inlet filters, reduce suction air temperature, avoid or fully open discharge pipe control valve, reduce discharge pipe pressure losses by installing a parallel header, replace internals such as roots and lobes, install bigger blowers, increase blower speed by gear/driver replacement... 

Equation (8.15) relates to pressure losses along lengths of straight pipe. Pressure losses are also associated with bends in pipelines and estimations of the value of these losses will be covered in the next section. 

The concept of the specific resistance used in equation 4 is based on the assumptions that flow is one-dimensional, growth of cake is unrestricted, only soHd and Hquid phases are present, the feed is sufficiently dilute such that the soHds are freely suspended, the filtrate is free of soHds, pressure losses in feed and filtrate piping are negligible, and flow is laminar. Laminar flow is a vaHd assumption in most cake formation operations of practical interest. 

Electromagnetic flow meters ate available in essentially all pipe si2es, ie, 1 mm to 3 m, and provide measurement accuracy of 1% of rate or better over wide ranges. The meters are obstmctionless, have no moving parts, and are extremely mgged. Pressure loss is that of an equivalent section of pipe. 

Piping systems where pressure loss determines all or part of the pressure rise developed by pumps or compressors. In these systems the choice... 

In order to select the pipe size, the pressure loss is calculated and velocity limitations are estabHshed. The most important equations for calculation of pressure drop for single-phase (Hquid or vapor) Newtonian fluids (viscosity independent of the rate of shear) are those for the deterrnination of the Reynolds number, and the head loss, (16—18). 

The flow resistance of pipe fittings (elbows, tees, etc) and valves is expressed in terms of either an equivalent length of straight pipe or velocity head loss (head loss = Kv /2g ). Most handbooks and manufacturers pubHcations dealing with fluid flow incorporate either tables of equivalent lengths for fittings and valves or K values for velocity head loss. Inasmuch as the velocity in the equipment is generally much lower than in the pipe, a pressure loss equal to at least one velocity head occurs when the fluid is accelerated to the pipe velocity. 

Although it has been common practice to specify the pressure loss in ordinary valves in terms of either equivalent length of straight pipe of the same size or velocity head loss, it is becoming more common to specify flow rate and pressure drop characteristics in the same terms as has been the practice for valves designed specifically for control service, namely, in terms of the valve coefficient, C. The flow coefficient of a valve is defined as the volume of Hquid at a specified density that flows through the fully opened valve with a unit pressure drop, eg, = 1 when 3.79 L/min (1 gal /min) pass through the valve... 

See Benedict, loc. cit., for a general equation for pressure loss for nozzles installed in pipes or with plenum inlets. Nozzles show higher loss than venturis. Permanent pressure loss for laminar flow depends on the Reynolds number in addition to p. For details, see Alvi, Sri-dharan, and Lakshamana Rao, J. Fluids Eng., 100, 299-307 (1978). 

For permanent pressure loss with segmental and eccentric orifices with laminar pipe flow see Lakshmana Rao and Sridharan, Proc. Am. Soc. Civ. Eng., ]. Hydraul. Div., 98 (HY 11), 2015-2034 (1972). 

Rotameters require no straight runs of pipe before or after the point of installation. Pressure losses are substantially constant over the whole flow range. In experimental work, for greatest precision, a rotameter should be cahbrated with the flmd which is to be metered. However, most modern rotameters are precision-made so that their performance closely corresponds to a master cahbration plot for the type in question. Such a plot is supphed with the meter upon purchase. 

Skin friction loss. Skin friction loss is the loss from the shear forces on the impeller wall caused by turbulent friction. This loss is determined by considering the flow as an equivalent circular cross section with a hydraulic diameter. The loss is then computed based on well-known pipe flow pressure loss equations. 

Carbon residue, pour point, and viseosity are important properties in relation to deposition and fouling. Carbon residue is found by burning a fuel sample and weighing the amount of earbon left. The earbon residue property shows the tendeney of a fuel to deposit earbon on the fuel nozzles and eombustion liner. Pour point is the lowest temperature at whieh a fuel ean be poured by gravitational aetion. Viseosity is related to the pressure loss in pipe flow. Both pour point and viseosity measure the tendeney of a fuel to foul the fuel system. Sometimes, heating of the fuel system and piping is neeessary to assure a proper flow. 

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