Draft 8/10/98

Copyright (c) 1998 Lucia M. Liljegren. All rights reserved.

11. THE 1-D ENERGY EQUATION WITH LOSSES. 1

11.1. Types of questions 1

11.2. Equations and Assumptions 2

11.2.1. Assumptions: 2
11.2.2. Equations 2
11.2.3. Vocabulary 3
11.2.4. Converting between various ways of expressing the losses. 5

11.3. Preliminary Procedures 5

11.3.1. Neglect “z” for gases rule. 5

11.4. General Procedure 5

11.5. Application 6
11.5.1. Power dissipated in a room. 6

11. The 1-D energy equation with losses.

11.1. Types of questions

There are a wide range of possible questions that are asked. The procedure for all of these questions is the same:

• Determine the power obtained from a turbine.

• Determine the pump power required to pump a fluid from point a to point b.
• Determine the maximum flow rate for a given configuration.
• Determine the pressure at a specific location.
• Determine an elevation somewhere in a system.
• Determine the energy lost per unit mass of fluid.

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• Determine the head loss.

11.2. Equations and Assumptions

This section describes assumptions, some forms of the mechanical energy equation and some vocabulary terms. The vocabulary terms
are required because practicing engineers express losses of mechanical energy in several different ways. Students must be able to
recognize the most common terms, and translate between them.

1 1 . 2 . 1 . Assumptions:

• Pressure is either uniform or varies hydrostatically at any inlet and outlet.

• The flowing fluid has a constant density.
• The control volume has only 1 inlet and 1 exit for flow.
• Either the velocity is uniform at all surfaces, or the velocity profiles are identical at the upstream and downstream location. (The
method will work in some other cases; if these assumptions do not seem to apply, and the lecturer seems to be using the energy
equation and you are puzzled, ask questions.)

This work book is admitting to being vague about the exact assumptions regarding velocity used in this section. Slightly different ones
apply to different problems. The work book assumes that the text or class lectures discuss the exact meaning of the v2 term in the energy
equation to permit the student to understand it.

1 1 . 2 . 2 . Equations
The 1-D energy equation is given as equations 5.56 and 5.57 in MY&O. Both are equivalent expressions of the exact same equation.
Two other possible choices, neither of which are in YM&O are:
 V 2
  V 2

Q Pdownstream + ρ downstream + ρgzdownstream  −  Pupstream + ρ upstreamt + ρgzupstreamt   = W˙ shaft − W˙lost
 2   2 
 Pdownstream Vdownstream 2   Pupstream Vupstreamt 2 
m˙  + + gz downstream − + + gz upstreamt  = W˙ shaft − W˙ lost
 ρ 2   ρ 2 
where:

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Q is the volumetric flow rate of the fluid. (m3 /sec or ft3 /hr)
m˙ is the mass flow rate of the fluid. (kg/sec or slugs/sec)
V is the speed of the fluid (m/s or ft/s)
W˙shaft is the rate at which useful mechanical work done by hardware in the control volume. Examples: pumps inside the control volume
do positive work. Turbines do negative work. (Watts or hp)
W˙losst is the rate at which mechanical energy is dissipated into heat. For the time being, students may be provided curves or equations
to estimate this value. (Watts or hp.)
Fluid flows from “upstream” to “downstream”; these locations are denoted by the subscripts “upstream” and “downstream”.

The “m” form resembles 5.55 in MY&O; some terms have been grouped to obtain Wlost term at the far right hand side. The Q form does
not appear in MY&O!

All four equations are fundamentally identical ! I advise students to recognize and understand one form of this equation. Then, learn to
convert different expressions for losses using the rules described in 11.2.4!

My preferred form is the first equation given in this section; that is the “Q” form. The reason I prefer this one:
1. Habit.
2. The quantities inside the square brackets on the left hand side resemble the terms in the Bernoulli equation, which students learned
some time ago.
3. The terms on the left hand side are expressed in terms of “power”. I took thermodynamics first, and “power” generated by turbines
is often requested in that class.
4. I find both forms I provide easiest to extend to problems with more than one inlet and exit.

The text YM&O prefers forms 5.56 and 5.57.

1 1 . 2 . 3 . Vocabulary

The mechanical energy per unit mass of fluid is the sum of three quantities:

P V 2 
+ + gz
 ρ 2 

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When no mechanical work is added to flowing fluid, this quantity is decreases in the flow direction. (Mechanical work can be added to
flowing fluid by “pushing” the fluid in some way; typically this is done with a pump or blower.) When mechanical energy per unit
volume of fluid value decreases in value , the system is said to exhibit “losses”.

Identical irreversible losses can be expressed several ways. The most commonly, losses are expressed in terms of elevation, pressure, or
simply as an energy loss per unit mass of fluid. The various expressions used to describe these losses are provided here.

1 1 . 2 . 3 . 1 . “loss”
The rate mechanical energy dissipated per unit mass of fluid is denoted in this work book and in YM& O using the word “loss”. The
dimensions of “loss” as being 1) energy /unit mass, or 2) velocity squared.

The relation between the word “loss” and the mechanical energy per unit mass of fluid is:
1  V2 
w loss =" loss" = ∆ loss P + ρ + ρgz 
ρ  2 
where the ∆ loss is used to indicate the decrease in the sum contained inside the brackets. The units “loss” are (ft/s)2 or (m/s)2.

1 1 . 2 . 3 . 2 . Head Loss
The term “head loss” hloss describes the losses in terms of elevation, with pressure and velocity assumed constant. The conversion to
obtain hloss from “loss” is:

w loss =" loss" = ghloss

1 1 . 2 . 3 . 3 . Pressure loss or Pressure loss

In horizontal pipes, it is also useful to simply determine the irreversible pressure drop, Ploss:

∆Ploss
w loss =" loss" =
ρ

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The subscript “loss” is used to differentiate the portion of a pressure drop due to losses from pressure changes that occur for other
reasons.

1 1 . 2 . 4 . Converting between various ways of expressing the losses.

To convert between one expression for losses and another, use any part of this relation that is convenient:
(ρQ )wloss = ( ρQ ) "loss" = m˙ wloss = W˙loss = m˙ Ploss = m˙ (gh loss )
The dimensions in the equation shown above is that of power (units are Watts, or hp)

It is also common to describe shaft power in terms of head developed h shaf , pressure rise Pshafs across a pump, work per unit mass done
on the fluidw shaft , or simply pump power W˙shaf The conversions between all of these are:

(ρQ )w shafts = m˙ wshaft = W˙shaf = m˙ Pshafs = m˙ (gh shaf )

11.3. Preliminary Procedures

1 1 . 3 . 1 . Neglect “z” for gases rule.

When applying the mechanical energy equation to gases, the elevation change is generally ignored.

11.4. General Procedure

1. Draw an appropriate control volume with fluid entering through 1 control surface and exiting through another. Label the surface
where fluid enters “upstream” ; label the other surface “downstream”
2. Write a “blank” energy equation.
   
   
__  __ + __ + __  −  __ + __ + __  = __ − __ 
• P  W˙   W˙ 
  
Q v ρgz P 2 v ρgz 2

 ρ
downstream downstream downstream upstream upstreamt upstreamt shaft lost
ρ
2 2

3. Identify pressure, elevation and, velocity at both the upstream and downstream surfaces.
• If pressure varies hydrostatically, use the hydrostatic relation to find the pressure.

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• Generally, pressure is uniform.

• Fill in the appropriate slots in the blank equation.
• Define variables names for any values with unknown magnitudes.
4. Determine volumetric flow rate through the system, or determine a relation for it the magnitude.
• Because of the assumptions in this section, the volumetric flow rate will be the same at both surfaces!
• Use the appropriate procedure in chapter 8.
5. Determine the power from any obvious hardware, Wshaft .
• Pumps do positive work on the system Wshaft > 0
• Turbines do negative work on the system, Wshaft <0.
• If it is not possible to obtain a magnitude, identify an equation for the shaft work.
• Fill in the appropriate slot in the blank equation.
6. Identify a relation for the power dissipated, Wloss or, if possible, determine its magnitude.
• This value must be positive.
• Fill in the appropriate slot in the blank equation.
7. Reorganize and solve for the unknown.
8. If necessary, convert the unknown to the desired answer!
• Use whichever portion of the equation in 11.2.2 appears most useful.
9. Double check units.

11.5. Application

1 1 . 5 . 1 . Power dissipated in a room.

Find the power dissipated between 1 and 2 in the building as shown. This is a plan view of building! Gravity points into the board.

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(Upstream)
V=10 m/s
A = 1 m2
p = -62 pa gage
z=0

Exhaust fan:
Mechanical energy 3 kW
is “lost”as air flows
through filter and
into room

(Downstream)
V = 10 m/s
A = 1 m2
p = 0 gage
z=0

1. Draw an appropriate control volume .

• The upstream and downstream locations are labeled.
2. Write a “blank” energy equation.
   
   
__  __ + __ + __  −  __ + __ + __  = __ − __
•  W˙   W˙ 
P   
Q v ρgz 2 P v ρgz 2

 ρ
downstream downstream downstream upstream upstreamt upstreamt shaft lost
ρ
2 2

3. Identify pressure, elevation and, velocity at both the upstream and downstream surfaces.
• The pressure, elevation and velocity are noted at both the upstream and downstream surface.

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4. Determine volumetric flow rate through the system, or determine a relation for it the magnitude.
• Q = VA = 10 m/s 1 m2 = 10 m3 /s
5. Determine the power from any obvious hardware, W˙shaft .
• Like a pump, fan does work on the system. W˙shaft = +3kW
˙
6. Identify a relation for the power dissipated, Wlost or, if possible, determine its magnitude.
• W˙lost is the “unknown”.
• Place the variable W˙ lost in the appropriate slot.

• All slots are filled:

 3 10
2
 
0 + 1.23kg / m + ρg0
 2  
• (10m / s 1m 2 )   = 3kw − W˙lost
 −  −62Pa + 1.23kg / m 3 10m + ρg0 
2

  2  
7. Reorganize and solve for the unknown.
• The power dissipated is: W˙lost = 3kw − 620 w = 2380 kw
8. If necessary, convert the unknown to the desired answer!
• The problem asked for power dissipated; no further conversion is required..
9. Double check units.
• Notice also: Work lost is positive, as it should be. Negative values would violate the 2nd law of thermodynamics!

Note: Students may wish to compare this problem and its solution to the example 5.16 in YM&O. For reference: “the work done to
useful effect” by the fan-filter-room combination in the example just solved is 620 W. The “efficiency” of the fan-filter-room
combination would be η= 620 W/3kW = 21%. (The efficiency of the fan alone would be much better. The difficulty is that filtering
dissipates lots of energy!)