The study on the measurement for the pressure drop and friction factor of corrugated metal pipes

The data for friction factor of the pipe correlated by Reynolds number and relative roughness have been reported well as a Moody chart. However, the results for corrugated shapes have been not investigated sufficiently. In this research, therefore, the pressure drop and friction factor are obtained. Flexible metal tubes with corrugations for the measurement are made of stainless steel plates. The kinds of tubes for the measurement are 5 annular types and helical types. The pressure drop & the velocity of the flow are obtained by micromanometer & digital pressure sensor, supplying dry air at several steps. Then the pressure drop is calculated for each tube, using the obtained data. The result shows that the pressure drop is strongly influenced by the viscous dissipation of kinetic energy due to the circulation of flows, rather than a viscous friction loss. The pressure drop increased consistently as the Reynolds number increases.