REYNOLDS NUMBER AND FRICTION FACTORS

SI/Metric Units

US Customary Units

INPUT   DATA EXAMPLE Of Input/Output

Title  

Flow rate , Q   m3/hr  
Kinematic viscosity, ν   cSt  
Pipe diameter, D   mm 
Pipe roughness, ε   mm  


     Reset


OUTPUT   VARIABLES   &   GRAPHS

VARIABLES   Values   Units
 ♦ Flow velocity, V   m/s 
 ♦ Reynolds number, Re    
 ♦ Flow regime    
 ♦ Darcy Friction Factors, ƒd     
    • Laminar    
    • Colebrook-White    
    • Churchill    
    • Swamee-Jain    
 ♦ Fanning Friction Factor, ƒf    
 ♦ Transmission Factor, F    

THEORY  &   FORMULAE

Flow Through Circular Pipe

The Reynolds Number (Re), is a dimensionless parameter for characterizing fluid flow. It is the criterion used to determine whether flow is Laminar, Critical (transitional) or Turbulent. Usually for laminar flow Re < 2100, for critical flow Re is between 2100 and 4000, while turbulent flow prevails for Re > 4000.

The Darcy friction factor is a Reynold number-dependent factor used in the computation of the pressure loss due to pipe roughness. Friction factor is commonly computed via the implicit Colebrook-White equation and more recently by explicit equations by Churchill, and by Swamee & Jain. Colebrook-White and the Swamee-Jain equations were designed for the turbulent flow regime, but will be used here also for the critical regime. Churchill's equation spans the entire range from laminar to turbulent. The Fanning factor and the Transmission factor are derivatives of the Darcy friction factor. The relevant equations are given below:

    Reynolds Number Re=VD/ν

    

   Fanning friction factor ƒfd/4

   Transmission factor F =2/√ƒd

where
     Re = Reynolds Number
     V = average flow velocity
     ν = kinetic viscosity, centistokes
     D = pipe inside diameter
     ε = absolute internal pipe roughness
     ƒ = friction factor
     ƒd = Darcy friction factor
     ƒf = Fanning friction factor
     F = Transmission factor

Tips

    ◊ Use link EXAMPLE Of Input/Output  to demo data entry expectations and results; you may edit & use it as starting point

BIBLIOGRAPHY