Losses

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Energy loss in fluid motion is directly proportional to $v^2$ where $v$ is the velocity.

Types

Local Loss

Occurs when there is a sudden change in flow.

K_L \frac{v^2}{2g}

Here:

$K_L$: local loss coefficient
$v$: velocity
$g$: gravitational acceleration

Friction Loss

Occurs because of

viscosity
friction between fluid and pipe wall

When the fluid is under turbulent flow:

\lambda \frac{L}{D} \frac{v^2}{2g}

Here:

$\lambda$: friction factor
$L$: length of the pipe
$D$: diameter of the pipe
$v$: velocity
$g$: gravitational acceleration

Written by

Sahithyan K.

November 3, 2026 1 min read

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