Lesson 13: Head Loss

Objective
In this section we will learn the following:

How to define head or head loss. Why is head loss a concern in water and wastewater? How to perform some calculations to help plan and design for head loss. What is TDH - Total Dynamic Head?

Reading Assignment
Read this online lesson and any other related source materials.

Lecture Introduction
Head loss (as discussed in Lesson #7) is the measure of the reduction in the total head of the liquid as it moves through a system. The total head is the sum of the elevation head, velocity head and pressure head. Head loss is unavoidable and is present because of the friction between the fluid and the walls of the pipe and is also present between adjacent fluid particles as they flow along the pipe. Head loss is a measure of the reduction in the total head ( sum of elevation head, velocity head and pressure head) of the fluid as it moves through a fluid system. This is unavoidable in real fluids. The head loss for fluid flow is directly proportional to the length of the pipe, as flow rate increases the pressure will drop. Friction loss = rough pipes, and the degree of roughness is called the C - Factor. The HEAD is the vertical distance, height or energy of water above a point. A head of water may be measured in either height (ft.) or pressure (psi). To calculate Head Loss in feet you

should multiply the psi -pounds per square inch X 2.31 ( a set constant) OR the psi is equal to 0.433 X feet of head. Each can be read with a pressure gauge. Head loss is the combination of different types of losses. 1- Friction Loss, 2 - other minor losses. Friction from the walls of the pipe on the liquid is the head loss , caused by friction. Head loss is the reduction in the total head of a fluid caused by the friction present in the fluid's motion. 1- Friction loss occurs as the fluid flows through the straight pipes. 2- Minor losses are head losses that occur due to bends, elbows, joints, valves, and other fittings in the systems. Whenever there is a change in the direction of flow or a change in the crosssectional area a head loss will occur. Friction losses are very dependent upon the viscosity of the liquid and the amount of turbulence in the flow. Head loss due to friction can be calculated by using the DarcyWeisbach equation. The friction factor for the fluid flow can be determined by using a MOODY CHART. IF the relative roughness of the pipe and the Reynolds Number of the flow can be determined. Darcy's equation can be used to calculate frictional losses. A special form of this equation can be used to calculate minor losses. Friction loss is that part of the total head loss that occurs as the fluid flows through straight pipes. The head loss for fluid flow is directly proportional to the length of pipe, the square of the fluid velocity, and a term for fluid friction called the friction factor . The head loss is inversely proportional to the diameter of the pipe. Friction loss must be calculated in order to properly size pipe, elbows, valves, and other fitting along the piping system. Total dynamic head (TDH) is very important in calculating the pump sizes. The TDH involves several different things: the vertical distance the water is being pumped to the point of use the operating pressure desired at the point of use (ft. of water) the friction losses from water moving through the piping system, which is measured as feet of head loss

Head loss is given in equation 2.8.4 as:

Where: f = friction factor D = diameter L = Length V = average velocity

g = acceleration due to gravity f is given by equations for Laminar Flow

Where: p = density D = diameter v = velocity u = viscosity

HEAD is the amount of energy possessed by a unit quantity of water expressed in feet. Water may contain energy due to 1- elevation 2- pressure 3- velocity. Thus a 40 ft. tank will have 40 ft. of head. HEAD that is due to elevation is called STATIC HEAD, this is the actual elevation difference between water surfaces or a water surface and some reference point. IF the elevation of tank A is 2100 feet and the elevation of tank B is 2300 feet, then the static head is 200 feet. Pressure head is = feet Velocity head is the energy of motion. 1 psi = 2.31 ft. Velocity head = y(squared) divided by 2g .433 psi = 1 ft. G = 32.2 ft. per second squared Head loss in feet of pipe (PVC plastic pipe) For head loss in feet, multiply PSI by 2.31. For instance, for 20 GPM and 1.5" diameter pipe, multiplying 1.34 PSI by 2.31, you will get 3.1 feet. That is, for every 100 feet of 1.5" pipe with 20 GPM flowing through it you will lose 3.1 feet of head due to friction.

1.34 x 2.31 = 3.1 ft

Flow GPM pipe diameter (inches)

Water Withdrawal Estimation by Pipe Diameters Table 2: Water Withdrawal Estimation by Pipe Diameters Pipe Diameter in inches Gallons per Minute Discharged Gallons accumulated after 1 Hour Hours To Reach 3 Million Gallons Days Hours To Reach 3 Million Gallons 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 60 93 188 325 500 750 1,200 3,600 5,580 11,280 19,500 30,000 45,000 72,000 833.3 537.6 266.0 153.8 100.0 67.7 42.7 34.7 22.4 11.1 6.4 4.2 2.8 1.7

Pipe Diameter in inches

Gallons per Minute Discharged

Gallons accumulated after 1 Hour

Days

Review
In this lesson we learned about all the types of head losses. Friction loss, and velocity losses as well as minor losses (within the fittings used in the system) are all involved in properly calculating the head losses within the entire system. Head loss is defined as the measure of the reduction in the total head of the liquid as it moves through a system. The total head is the sum of the elevation head, velocity head and pressure head. Head loss is unavoidable and is present because of the friction between the fluid and the walls of the pipe. Head loss is a measure of the reduction in the total head of the fluid as it moves through a pumping system . Head loss is unavoidable . The head loss for fluid flow is directly proportional to the length of pipe as it flows through a system. The head is the vertical distance, height or energy of water above a specific point. A head of water may be measured in either height, ft. or pressure, psi. To calculate head loss in feet you should multiply the psi times 2.31 or the psi is equal to 0.433 times the feet of head. Each of these can be found by reading or using a pressure gauge. Head loss is the combination of the different types of losses, with Friction loss being the main loss. This is caused by water flowing through a pipeline, which through years of use, is no longer smooth and now has scale and corrosion on the inside of the pipeline, slowing the flow. Friction losses are very dependent upon the viscosity of the liquid and the amount of turbulence in the flow. The head loss is inversely proportional to the diameter of the pipe. The TDH or Total Dynamic Head, 1 - is the vertical distance the water is being pumped to the point of use, 2 - The operating pressure desired at the point of use (expressed in ft. of water) or 3 - the friction losses from water moving through the piping system (measured as ft. of head loss). This is used when water is being pumped from a well. To determine the distance from the water level to the ground surface. The drop in water level while the pump is in operation, called the drawdown of the well. The vertical distance the water must be elevated is then the sum of the drawdown, the distance from the normal water elevation to the wellhead, and the rise from the wellhead to the point of distribution in the water system. The proper sizing of lines and fittings is very critical to utility operations. Pressure, flow, and source water are all important information when sizing a pump. But fittings such as elbows, terrain, and curves will change all the calculations, water lines do NOT go in straight lines, although it would be easier to calculate if they did. Proper sizing of a pump can be complex and simple at the same time. All you need to know is the required gallons per minute and the total dynamic head, TDH, we wish, but as you learned from this lesson there are a lot of other factor involved with these calculations as well.

Resources

Water Supply & Pollution Control - 4 th Edition Water Distribution Operator Training Handbook - AWWA Op Flow Bulletins - July 1998, Sept. 2000

Assignment
For water equations, one hp equals 33,000ft-lb/min. IF you divide 33,000 ft-lb/min by 8.34 lb/gal (1 gal water = 8.34 lb) you will get approx. 3960 gal/min/ft. OR

1. A pump is pumping against a total head of 46.2 feet at a rate of 800 gpm. What is the water hp required? 2. A pump running at 5 hp is delivering a flow of 420 gpm. How much head is it pumping against? 3. What is the maximum pumping rate (in gpd) of a 15 hp pump, pumping against a head of 65 ft?

Questions are courtesy of Roger Migchelbrink, AquaSource Services and Technologies

Quiz
Answer the questions in Quiz 13 . When you have completed the quiz, print it out and either mail or fax to the instructor, Harriett Long. You may also take the quiz online and directly submit it into the database for a grade.