For a flow of 100 gpm through 100 feet of 1 ¼ inch Schedule 40 pipe, how many feet of 1 ½ inch pipe are needed to produce the same friction loss?

To determine the equivalent length of 1 ½ inch pipe needed to produce the same friction loss as 100 feet of 1 ¼ inch Schedule 40 pipe at a flow rate of 100 gallons per minute (gpm), it is essential to understand how pipe diameter affects friction loss.

Friction loss in piping systems is influenced by factors such as the pipe diameter, length, flow rate, and the material's roughness. Generally, larger diameter pipes have a lower friction loss because they allow the fluid to flow more freely, resulting in less resistance.

Using the Hazen-Williams formula or similar hydraulic calculations, one can derive the friction loss for the existing conditions in the 1 ¼ inch pipe. Once that friction loss is established, you can then calculate how much longer a larger diameter pipe would need to be to produce an equivalent amount of friction loss.

In this case, a 1 ½ inch pipe would have a significantly lower friction loss because it has a larger cross-sectional area compared to the 1 ¼ inch pipe. To produce the same amount of friction loss as 100 feet of 1 ¼ inch pipe, approximately 212 feet of 1 ½ inch pipe is required. This outcome reflects