Tee Head Calculations...

[Modo]

Is it possible to "fool" the Excel spreadsheet by adding an additional value to an existing cell to get your calculations for a Tee fitting?

For example:
Using 1" pipe, you want to calculate the loss of head for a tee fitting. Would it make sense to add 1.21 into the 45 cell to calculate for the Tee flow-through? Or for a branch add 2.67 into the 90 cell?

Maybe my math is off, but using the Friction Loss chart in the article it seems that flow through on a tee equals the same friction as 1.21 45 degree elbows. Or for a branch the friction loss is the same as 2.67 90 degree elbows.

My thinking could be waaay off here. Please let me know if this will calculate the GPH and Total Dynamic Head correctly. I know you said you'll be covering this in a future article. But, until then will this help me out?

Thanks,
modo

 

[Modo]

Does anybody get what I'm saying? After 4 months I'm getting a little impatient waiting on the 2nd article that covers Tee fittings. :wink:

 

[Modo]

 

[sanjay]

Modo:

I have been working on the spreadsheet to handle this, and have a version working, but am looking to spend some time improving the interface.

Post your plumbing data or email it to me and I'll use it as a test for the new spreadsheet and send you back the results.

sanjay.

 

[Modo]

Cool thank you. I was just messing around above. I didn't think anybody was actually down here.

Here is what I am planning for a new 90g.

All pipe will be 1".
5.5' vertical and a total of 9.5' total length

From pump output in order.
expansion coupling (3/4" to 1")
tee straight to tank (branch reduced to 1/4" with needle valve to feed Calc Reactor)
ball valve
tee branch
each branch 2' horizontal (9.5' total pipe length)
2 gate valves on branches for flow control
4 90's for branches to reach tank water
2 45's on output for direction of water

This is just from sketches that I've made. Not sure what pump to run, but was leaning towards a MAG 18.

Thanks Sanjay. I know you guys have put alot of work into these spreadsheets and articles. But just for my curiosity, does what I said above hold any water? I'm sure there is more to it than that, but I'll be curious to run my numbers vs. what you come back with and see how far off I was.

Thanks!
Kurt

 

[sanjay]

From pump output in order.
expansion coupling (3/4" to 1")
tee straight to tank (branch reduced to 1/4" with needle valve to feed Calc Reactor)

This is one of the pieces I am still struggling with. The program can only handle one branch. But I think I can fool it for now by entering 1/3 of a 90 elbow.

ball valve
tee branch
each branch 2' horizontal (9.5' total pipe length)

What is the static head of the branches (from the Tee to the tank) ?

2 gate valves on branches for flow control
4 90's for branches to reach tank water

Are there 2 on each branch ?

2 45's on output for direction of water

Again, one on each branch ?

This is just from sketches that I've made. Not sure what pump to run, but was leaning towards a MAG 18.

Thanks Sanjay. I know you guys have put alot of work into these spreadsheets and articles. But just for my curiosity, does what I said above hold any water? I'm sure there is more to it than that, but I'll be curious to run my numbers vs. what you come back with and see how far off I was.

Thanks!
Kurt

Thanks, Kurt. There are still a few things I have no idea how to do in a Excel Spreadsheet, especially when it comes to a nice user interface to enter the piping information.

I ran numbers you sent me, with a few assumptions since I did not get that from what you posted. I assummed a static head for the main Tee Branch to be 3.5 ft and 2 ft from the tee to the tank. And split the pipe lenght as follows 1.5ft to the main Tee and 4 feet on each branch.

With, this I get the following numbers for Mag. 18

Total flow: 16.2 GPM

Flow on each branch: 8.1 GPM

sanjay

 

[Modo]

Sanjay,
Yes, I think I confused you a little. Sorry, about that.

The static head from the pump to the main tee will be 5.5'. From that tee 2 branches of 2' will each have 1 gate valve, 2-90's and 1-45. All the valves and fittings above were totals of the two branches.

What is the static head of the branches (from the Tee to the tank) ?

Okay, now I'm confused. The line from the pump tees at the correct height. So, the branches will be completely horizontal. Each branch from the tee only being 2'. Would there be any static head for this? The friction loss would be calculated using the total length of pipe at 9.5', correct?

Here are the numbers I got from what I am planning when I use flow through on a tee equaling the same friction as 1.21 45 degree elbows and for a branch adding 2.67 into the 90 cell. Let me know what you get and if I made any better sense this time. :? I wish i could help you with your Excel problem. I work in Excel everyday, but I don't do anything to the extent that your needing it to do.

Select Pump: Mag18

PVC pipe Nominal Diameter 1.00
Pipe Length 9.5

# of Ball Valves 1
# of Gate Valves 2
# of 90° Elbows 9.34

# of 45° Elbow 3.21
# of Couplings/Unions 1
# of Swing Check Valves 0

Expansion Couplings 1
Sudden Contactions 0

Static Head 5.5

System Results
Flow Rate (GPM) 13.58
System Flow Rate (GPH) 815
Velocity at Output (ft/sec) 5.03

 

[sanjay]

OK, I ran your data through this newer version of the spreadsheet I am working on, and here is what it looks like. May be a little difficult to deciepher due to the formating, but basically I am getting a flow rate of about 915GPH with the corrected interpretation of your data.

Doing what you did will give you a more conservative number, since you are throwing all that info into a single loop. Water flow through a branch flows such that the total friction in each branch is the same, and the total flow = sum of flow on each branch.

Hope this helps.

sanjay.

Enter Plumbing System Data					
					
Select Pump:	Mag18	<-- Click on this cell to select pump from dropdown list.			
					
PVC pipe Nominal Diameter	1.00	inches			
Pipe Length	5.5	feet			
					
# of Ball Valves	1				
# of Gate Valves	0				
# of 90° Elbows	0.67				
					
# of 45° Elbow	0				
# of Couplings/Unions	0				
# of Swing Check Valves	1				
			(inches)		(inches)
Expansion Couplings	1	Smaller Diameter	0.75	Larger Diameter	1
Sudden Contactions	0	Smaller Diameter	0	Larger Diameter	0
					
Static Head	5.5	feet			
Number of Branches	2	<----(0 or 2)			
BRANCH 1 - DATA		BRANCH 2 - DATA			
Pipe Size	1	Pipe Size	1		
Pipe Length	2	Pipe Length	2		
Tee - Flow through	0	Tee - Flow through	0		
Tee-Branch	1	Tee-Branch	1		
# of Ball valves	0	# of Ball valves	0		
# of Gate Valves	1	# of Gate Valves	1		
# of 90 elbows	2	# of 90 elbows	2		
# of 45 elbows	1	# of 45 elbows	1		
# of couplings/unions	0	# of couplings/unions	0		
# of swing Check Valves	0	# of swing Check Valves	0		
					
Static Head	0	Static Head	0		
BRANCH 1 - RESULTS		BRANCH 2 - RESULTS			
Branch 1 - Flow rate (GPM)	7.62	Branch 2 - Flow rate (GPM)	7.62		
Branch 1 - Velocity (ft/sec)	3.11	Branch 2 - Velcoity(ft/sec)	3.11		
Branch 1 - Minor Loss	0.7239	Branch 2 - Minor Loss	0.7239		
Branch 1 - Friction loss	0.0684	Branch 2 - Friction loss	0.0684		
Total head loss	0.7922	Total Head Loss	0.7922		
System Results			Plumbing Losses		
Flow Rate (GPM)	15.24		Friction head (ft)-main branch		0.6470
System Flow Rate (GPH)	915		Minor Loss (ft)-main branch		2.0609
			Static Head - main Branch		5.5000
			Head Loss - branch		0.7922
			Total Dynamic Head (ft)		9.0002

 

[Modo]

Wow! I can't wait until that aricle comes out. I like the way you can break each branch out and get it's own GPM/GPH flow. That is really impressive.

I'm really glad you have put all the time and effort into this. I'm beginning to rethink the MAG 18. There is no way a single overflow on a 90g could handle that type of turnover. No reason to have to throttle down a pump that much. Might have to look at the smaller MAGs....which is a good thing considering electricity costs.

Thanks Sanjay!!!!

-Kurt