Fluid Mechanics Lesson 09B: Piping Networks

Fluid Mechanics Lesson Series - Lesson 09B: Piping Networks
In this 12-minute video, Professor Cimbala discusses how to analyze pipe flows in series and in parallel. He also discusses flow through complex piping networks. He shows a "trick" for how to choose multiple control volumes so that enough equations can be generated to solve the problem. As always, he does some example problems.

This video incorporates material from Section 8-7 of the Fluid Mechanics textbook by Cengel and Cimbala.

An Excel file listing of all the videos in this series can be found at


You can also watch all related short videos with one click by going to one of Dr. Cimbala's playlists:

[Openheimer_]

Great teaching techniques sir.
Hope you will upload maximum lectures.
U hit directly on the point we need to analyze and is very useful for solving numerical. Became your fan .
Love from Nepal

[heavenskyclouds]

Hello, sir. So, the given is Tee and the inlet volumetric flowrate is Q1= 100 GPM. The oulet volumetric flowrate is required. The inlet diameter d1=d2=80 mm (one of the outlet) and the other one is 40 mm. How do you solve the 2 outlet volumetric flowrate if the only given is Q1 and the diameters, coz there will be 2 unknown.

[jeetplayz]

What would the total head loss in the system be (in the context of sizing a pump for application). Would the total head loss be the head loss through the branch with the greatest losses? That way if the pressure at the junction is high enough to overcome the losses through the worst-case branch, then it can also overcome the losses for the other branch?

[sakthivelv]

What software do you recommend for these calculations? I love your book so much. Thank you

[pgygidz]

Good day, I just wanted to ask if the tee branch is flowing to different pipe size, from 24" pipe into 12" pipe.
Currently I have the mass flowrate (800m3/hr) and pressure (6 bar) of the 24", so how do I calculate the pressure at the junction flowing into 12" pipe. For flowrate I think I can use a portable flowmeter, but for pressure I don't know which equation to use...

[doganhamsioglu]

Dear Mr. Cimbala, what is the alpha notation that you use in the energy equation, multiplying the velocity term? The energy equation includes alpha1, alpha2 and alpha3 which I don't underatand.

[ramazanfurkanoran]

Actually, Pressure drop must be equal through the branches. Otherwise pressure at the junction will have 2 values which is impossible. Also we assume steady state system that means no back flows can occur, which is the case if back pressures are not equal. Finally we adjust flow by this logic in our factory with a control valve. I advise you check that part sir