Calculate the pressure loss in pipes connected in series or parallel.
Tubes in Series
For pipes connected in series, the pressure loss is the sum of the individual losses:
dp = dp 1 + dp 2 + .. + dp n (1)
Where
dp = total pressure loss (Pa, psi)
dp 1..n = individual pressure loss in each tube (Pa, psi)
The mass flow rate is the same in all tubes:
m = m 1 = m 2 = …. = m n (1b)
Where
m = mass flow (kg/s, lb/s)
Pipes in Parallel
For pipes connected in parallel, the pressure loss is the same in all pipes:
dp = dp 1 = dp 2 = …. = dp n (2)
The total mass flow is the sum of the flow in each tube:
m = m 1 + m 2 + .. + m n (2b)
The pressure loss in the above equations can be replaced by a generic expression for pressure loss such as the D’Arcy-Weisbach equation.
