4/23/2019 Hazen-Williams Equation - calculating Head Loss in Water Pipes

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Hazen-Williams Equation - calculating Head Loss in Water Pipes

Friction head loss (ftH2O per 100 ft pipe) in water pipes can be estimated with the empirical
Hazen-Williams equation
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The Darcy-Weisbach equation with the Moody diagram is considered to be the most accurate model for
estimating frictional head loss for a steady pipe flow. Since the Darcy-Weisbach equation requires iterative calculation an
alternative empirical head loss calculation like the Hazen-Williams equation may be preferred:

h100ft = 0.2083 (100 / c)1.852 q1.852 / dh4.8655 (1)

where

h100ft = friction head loss in feet of water per 100 feet of pipe (fth20/100 ft pipe)

c= Hazen-Williams roughness constant

q = volume flow (gal/min)

dh = inside hydraulic diameter (inches)

Note that the Hazen-Williams formula is empirical and lacks a theoretical basis. Be aware that the roughness
constants are based on "normal" conditions with approximately 1 m/s (3 ft/sec).

Example - Friction Head Loss in Water Pipe

200 gal/min of water flows in a 3 inch PEH pipe DR 15 with inside diameter 3.048 inches. The roughness
coefficient for PEH pipe is 140 and the length of the pipe is 30 ft. The head loss for 100 ft pipe can be calculated as

h100ft = 0.2083 (100 / 140)1.852 (200 gal/min)1.852 / (3.048 in)4.8655

= 9 ft H2O / 100 ft pipe

The head loss for 30 ft pipe can be calculated

h30ft = h100ft (30 ft) / (100 ft)

= 9 (30 ft) / (100 ft)

= 2.7 ft H2O

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Water Pipes Head Loss Calculator App

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Online Hazens-Williams Calculator

Imperial Units
The calculators below can used to calculate the specific head loss (head loss per 100 ft (m) pipe) and the actual head
loss for the actual length of pipe. Default values are from the example above.

30 l - pipe or tube length (ft)

140 c- roughness coefficient determined for the type of pipe or tube

200 q - flow rate (gal/min)

3.048 dh - inside hydraulic diameter (inch)

Calculate!

pipe and tube dimensions

SI Units

9 l - pipe or tube length (m)

140 c- roughness coefficient determined for the type of pipe or tube

10 q - flow rate (liter/sec)

76 dh - inside hydraulic diameter (mm)

Calculate!

Hazen-Williams equation in an Excel template

The Hazen-Williams equation is not the only empirical formula available. Manning's formula is commonly used
to calculate gravity driven flows in open channels.

The flow velocity can be calculated as

v = 0.408709 q / dh2 (2)

where

v = flow velocity (ft/s)

Limitations
The Hazen-Williams equation is assumed to be relatively accurate for water flow in piping systems when

the Reynolds Numbers is above 105 ( turbulent flow )

the water temperature is in the range 40 - 75 oF (5 - 25oC) and the kinematic viscosity is approximately 1.1
cSt

For hotter water with lower kinematic viscosity (example 0.55 cSt at 130 oF (54.4 oC)) the error will be significant.

Since the Hazen-Williams method is only valid for water flow - the Darcy Weisbach method should be used for
other liquids or gases.

1 ft (foot) = 0.3048 m
1 in (inch) = 25.4 mm
1 gal (US)/min =6.30888x10-5 m3/s = 0.227 m3/h = 0.0631 dm3(liter)/s = 2.228x10-3 ft3/s = 0.1337 ft3/min =
0.8327 Imperial gal (UK)/min
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Related Topics
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