
8.1 PUMPING SYSTEMS AND SYSTEM-HEAD CURRVES 8.41
polation. For pipe sizes not shown, multiply the fourth power of the ratio of any tabulated
diameter to the pipe diameter wanted by the tabulated loss shown. The flow rate and vis-
cosity must be the same for both diameters.
For turbulent flow and for rates of flow and pipe sizes not tabulated, the following pro-
cedures may be followed. For the viscosity and pipe size required, an intermediate flow loss
is found by selecting the pressure loss for the next lower flow and multiplying by the
square of the ratio of actual to tabulated flow rates. For the viscosity and flow required, an
intermediate pipe diameter flow loss is found by selecting the pressure loss for the next
smaller diameter and multiplying by the fifth power of the ratio of tabulated to actual
inside diameters.
The viscosity of various common liquids can be found in tables in the appendix.
Partially Full Pipes and Open Channels Another popular empirical equation applic-
able to the flow of water in pipes flowing full or partially full or in open channels is the
Manning formula:
In USCS units (18a)
In SI units (18b)
where V average velocity, ft/s (m/s)
n friction factor for this formula, which depends on roughness only
r hydraulic radius (liquid area divided by wetted perimeter), ft (m)
S hydraulic gradient or frictional head loss per unit length of conduit, ft/ft (m/m)
The Manning formula nomogram shown in Figure 35 can be used to determine the flow
or frictional head loss in open or closed conduits. Note that the hydraulic gradient S in Fig-
ure 35 is plotted in feet per 100 ft of conduit length. Values of friction factor n are given in
Table 4.
If the conduit is flowing partially full, computing the hydraulic radius is sometimes
difficult. When the problem to be solved deals with a pipe that is not flowing full, Figure
36 may be used to obtain multipliers for correcting the flow and velocity of a full pipe to
the values needed for the actual fill condition. If the flow in a partially full pipe is known
and the frictional head loss is to be determined, Figure 36 is first used to correct the flow
to what it would be if the pipe were full. Then Eq. 18 or Figure 35 is used to determine
the frictional head loss (which is also the hydraulic gradient and the slope of the pipe).
The problem is solved in reverse if the hydraulic gradient is known and the flow is to be
determined.
For full or partially full flow in conduits that are not circular in cross section, an alter-
nate solution to using Eq. 18 is to calculate an equivalent diameter equal to four times the
hydraulic radius. If the conduit is extremely narrow and width is small relative to length
(annular or elongated sections), the hydraulic radius is one-half the width of the section.
4
After the equivalent diameter has been determined, the problem may be solved by using
the Darcy-Weisbach formula (Eq. 16).
The hydraulic gradient in a uniform open channel is synonymous with frictional head
loss in a pressure pipe.The hydraulic gradient of an open channel or of a pipe flowing par-
tially full is the slope of the free liquid surface. In the reach of the channel where the flow
is uniform, the hydraulic gradient is parallel to the slope of the channel bottom. Figure 37
shows that, in a pressure pipe of uniform cross section, the slope of both the energy and
hydraulic gradients is a measure of the frictional head loss per foot (meter) of pipe between
points 1 and 2. Figure 38 illustrates the flow in an open channel of varying slope. Between
points 1 and 2, the flow is uniform and the liquid surface (hydraulic gradient) and chan-
nel bottom are both parallel and their slope is the frictional head loss per foot (meter) of
channel length.
V
r
2>3
S
1>2
n
V
1.486
n
r
2>3
S
1>2