QS Energy Inc (QSEP)

[Myrka]

For example you have the pipe going along ------------ and then in the middle you expand it ------==========--------- (then back to normal). Well, every hour you are going to get more oil through that pipe than if it was just ----------------- all the way through. right?

I am sorry Alkaline, the answer is no. Read bellow, I tried to explain what happens to the energy and head loss in a pipeline as best I could. In fact, adding an AOT in the middle of an existing pipeline would, by itself, become a source of head and energy loss.

Head Loss in Piping

If you want to move something, there will be resistance. To move a given volume of liquid through a pipe requires a certain amount of energy. An energy or pressure difference must exist to cause the liquid to move. A portion of that energy is lost to the resistance to flow. This resistance to flow is called head loss due to friction.

One form of resistance to flow is due to the viscosity of the liquid, if the flow is smooth (by the way the Reynolds number, seen mentioned many times on this board, is used to determine if a flow is smooth or turbulent). Viscosity is the amount of work needed to move one layer of liquid against another layer of liquid. Every liquid has it’s own value for this resistance to flow. SAE 30 motor oil has a lower viscosity and flows much easier than SAE 50 motor oil.

Any time a liquid is asked to change direction or to change velocity there is a change in energy. The energy lost by the liquid is converted to heat created by friction. Since the amount of liquid exiting a pipe has to equal the amount entering the pipe (conservation of mass), the velocity must be equal. If the velocity is equal, then the velocity energy (head) must be equal. This only leaves one place for the energy to come from; pressure energy. The measured pressure entering the pipe will be higher than the measured pressure exiting the pipe.

Factors that affect Head Loss

1) Flow Rate

When the flow rate (GPM) increases, the velocity of the liquid increases at the same rate. The friction or resistance to flow (due to viscosity) also increases. The head loss is related to the square of the velocity so the increase in loss is very quick.

2) Inside diameter of the pipe

When the inside diameter is made larger, the flow area increases and the velocity of the liquid at a given flow rate is reduced. When the velocity is reduced there is lower head loss due to friction in the pipe. On the other hand, if the inside diameter of the pipe is reduced, the flow area decreases, the velocity of the liquid increases and the head loss due to friction increases.

3) Roughness of the pipe wall

As the roughness of the inside pipe wall increases so does the thickness of the slow or non-moving boundary layer of liquid. The resulting reduction in flow area increases the velocity of the liquid and increases the head loss due to friction.

4) Corrosion and Scale Deposits

Scale deposits and corrosion both increase the roughness of the inside pipe wall. Scale buildup has the added disadvantage of reducing the inside diameter of the pipe. All of these add up to a reduction in flow area, an increase of the velocity of the liquid, and an increase in head loss due to friction.


5) Viscosity of the liquid

The higher the viscosity of the liquid is, the higher the friction is from moving the liquid. More energy is required to move a high viscosity liquid than for a lower viscosity liquid.

6) Length of the pipe

Head loss due to friction occurs all along a pipe. It will be constant for each foot of pipe at a given flow rate. The published tables have head loss values which must be multiplied by the total length of pipe.

7) Fittings

Elbows, tees, valves, and other fittings are necessary to a piping system for a pump. It must be remembered that fittings disrupt the smooth flow of the liquid being pumped. When the disruption occurs, head loss due to friction occurs.

8) Straightness of the pipe

Because of momentum, liquid wants to travel in a straight line. If it is disturbed due to crooked pipe, the liquid will bounce off of the pipe walls and the head loss due to friction will increase. There is no accurate way to predict the effects since “crooked” can mean a lot of things.

I added a table of viscosity of Liquids :
Viscosity has the SI units Pascal seconds (Pa s) which is called the Poiseuille.
More commonly used is the dyne sec/cm2 which is called Poise.
One Pa s is 10 Poise.

Liquids Viscosity(Poise)

Acetone 0.0032
Gasoline 0.006
Water 0.01
Alcohol(ethyl) 0.012
Blood plasma 0.015
Mercury 0.016
Blood (whole) 0.04
Oil (light) 1.1
Oil (heavy) 6.6
Glycerin 14.9