Pressure Loss Equations for Laminar and Turbulent Non-Newtonian Pipe Flow

Abstract

The equations that define Newtonian pipe flow are well established and used routinely by engineers and scientists throughout the world. The same cannot be said for non-Newtonian flows, which have a higher degree of complexity. This paper presents a coherent set of equations for the laminar and turbulent flow of Herschel-Bulkley fluids. These equations are consistent with those used for Newtonian fluids and previous work on the behavior of generalized non-Newtonian fluids. A numerical model for non-Newtonian flows is discussed and has been compared with experimental measurements from different sources. This model has been used to run a series of simulations to find the coefficients required for a new turbulent friction factor correlation. A new Reynolds number has been defined that represents the conditions in turbulent flows more realistically than the existing Metzner-Reed Reynolds number.