Flow Rate Capacity Reduction Due to Temporal and Dynamic Processes in Large Pipelines. Study with field Measurements

Abstract

More than 15 years of operation have shown that some water transport pressurized pipelines change their flow rate capacity faster than expected due to normal roughness increase. As explained by the tubular pinch effect, the radial migration of suspended particles in a flow can produce a high concentration close to the pipe wall.

The non-uniform particle concentration leads to higher velocities at the center of the tube, equivalent to a reduced hydraulic section that increases the head losses. A model to explain field measurements at the Chapala-Guadalajara Aqueduct is proposed that suggests to hydraulic engineers to be more distrustful when using traditional head loss formulas to analyze water transport pipelines.