Evaluation and Correlation of Friction Head Losses in Smooth and Rough Pipes

Abstract

In order to transport a fluid, the energy losses mainly due to friction have to be overcome. Expressed in fluid height and referred to as head reduction, they are essentially dependent on pipe roughness and fluid low regime, and constitute the basis for the computation of fluid transportation and distribution networks design and analysis. The present paper reviews the diverse relationships that lead to the computation of friction head losses, and compare the results obtained to those of the experimentations carried out on pipes of diverse roughness and fluid flow regimes. The Hazen-Williams and Strickler relationships have been found to be the most appropriate to predicting the friction head losses in smooth and rough pipes respectively. Second-order polynomial correlations of the experimental results are developed for the cases investigated.