Pipe Radius: Calculate Diameter of Middle Part

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves calculating the diameter of the middle section of a pipe based on the flow of water and the time taken for a coin to travel through different sections of the pipe. The pipe consists of two parts with a known diameter and length, while the middle section's diameter is unknown.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the application of the continuity equation and the relationship between flow rates and diameters. There are attempts to calculate the average speed of water in the middle section and to express the relationship between the diameters in terms of known variables.

Discussion Status

Several participants have provided calculations and insights regarding the average speed of water and the implications of the continuity equation. There is an acknowledgment of discrepancies between calculated values and a model answer, leading to questions about the assumptions made in the problem setup.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the diameter provided in the original problem statement was misinterpreted, with clarification that 2cm refers to the radius, not the diameter. This may affect the calculations and assumptions being discussed.

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Homework Statement


The following image shows the parts A and B of a pipe where the middle part goes under a hill the length of both parts A and B is 30m and the diameter of them each is 2cm where as the middle part has a length of 110m to determine the middle part's diameter one engineer decided to push water in the pipe with a speed of 2.50 m\s in part A he dropped a small coin in the flow and noticed that it took 88.8 seconds for it to start from A and exit from B.
1)calculate the diameter of the middle pipe

Homework Equations



v=d\s
A1*v1=A2*v2. (Continuity equation)
A=pi*r^2[/B]

The Attempt at a Solution


Finding the area of a and b:
0.02^2*pi=0.00125m^2
Finding the time it would take to travel through A and B (not including mid pipe)
2.50=30/s
s=12
So for a and b it would take 24 seconds
For mid part it would take 88.8-24=64.8
Mid part speed
110/64.8=1.697m\s
So
0.00125*2.50=1.697*A2
Area=0.001841
0.0018141=pi*r^2
R=0.024m
Answer sheet says that the diameter is 3.60cm
help!
 

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Finding the area of a and b:
0.02^2*pi=0.00125m^2
... the diameter of the pipe is 2cm.

Note: you do not have to compute the area ...
You can express: ##A_1v_1 = A_2v_2## in terms of the two diameters ##d_1## and ##d_2## using ##A=\pi d^2/4##.
 
Now I've had a chance to check.
Assuming the coin travels at the same (average) speed as the water - it travels 60m at u=2.5m/s, this takes 60/2.5=24s
Total travel time is 88.8s to time through the entire length, so the time spent in the middle section is 88.8-24=64.8s
This gives an average speed through that section as v=110/64.8 = 1.6975m/s = 169.75cm/s
Volume flow rate is a constant for incompressible flow: we want to find hidden diameter d, given revealed diameter, u, and v
##\pi (d^2/4)v = \pi (2^2/4)u \implies d = 2\sqrt{2.5/1.6975} = 2.43##cm (2dp)
... in agreement with your answer. (notice I did not need to convert the units of diameter to meters.)

The model answer says d=3.60cm.
This suggests the model answer is incorrect, or uses a different model.
You can work out what the time through the entire pipe would be if the middle section were 3.6cm in diameter.
 
Simon Bridge said:
Now I've had a chance to check.
Assuming the coin travels at the same (average) speed as the water - it travels 60m at u=2.5m/s, this takes 60/2.5=24s
Total travel time is 88.8s to time through the entire length, so the time spent in the middle section is 88.8-24=64.8s
This gives an average speed through that section as v=110/64.8 = 1.6975m/s = 169.75cm/s
Volume flow rate is a constant for incompressible flow: we want to find hidden diameter d, given revealed diameter, u, and v
##\pi (d^2/4)v = \pi (2^2/4)u \implies d = 2\sqrt{2.5/1.6975} = 2.43##cm (2dp)
... in agreement with your answer. (notice I did not need to convert the units of diameter to meters.)

The model answer says d=3.60cm.
This suggests the model answer is incorrect, or uses a different model.
You can work out what the time through the entire pipe would be if the middle section were 3.6cm in diameter.

Thank you very much but I made a mistake 2cm is the radius not the diameter thanks!
 

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