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Table Of Contents
Chapter 5 Working with Hydrology Commands
506
Calculating Pipe Flow and Other Hydraulic
Values Using the Darcy-Weisbach Equations
The Darcy-Weisbach pipe calculators calculate flowrates and other hydraulic
variables for pipes. The Darcy-Weisbach formulas are used when the pipe is in a
pressure flow situation.
The different menu items provide the variation for the shape of the pipe:
Circular, Rectangular, Ellipical, or Custom (User).
Darcy-Weisbach Formula
There are two different Darcy-Weisbach equations that are used in the Darcy-
Weisbach pipe calculators. One is used for circular pipes, the other is used for
elliptical and rectangular pipes.
The Darcy-Weisbach pipe calculators use the following formula to calculate
head loss due to friction in circular pipes:
h
fLv
dg
L
2
2
where:
h
L
= Head loss due to friction
f = Friction factor
L = Length of pipe
v = Fluid velocity
d = Diameter of pipe
g = Acceleration due to gravity (32.174 ft/s2 or 9.807 m/s2)
The Darcy-Weisbach formula used to calculate head loss due to friction in non-
circular (rectangular and elliptical) pipes is as follows:
h
fLv
Rg
L
2
8
where:
h
L
= Head loss due to friction
f = Friction factor
L = Length of pipe
v = Fluid velocity
R = Hydraulic radius
g = Acceleration due to gravity (32.174 ft/s2 or 9.807 m/s2)