Effect of hole area and incline angle on pipe flow leakage rates

Abstract

Water will always remain a valuable commodity due to its unique properties and availability. Therefore, its transport in pipes has great significance. Further, if leakage is controlled, an efficient mechanism of fluid administration can be created, as seen in common drip irrigation techniques. This study changed two variables of pipe perforation: hole area and pipe incline, and measured the resulting leakage rates. The experimental setup consisted of a pipe of varying hole areas attached to a water reservoir at varying angles. We hypothesized that for a horizontally configured pipe with a single hole, the leakage rate would increase linearly with hole area. The experimental data shows consistency with the hypothesis for a certain range of hole sizes but deviates from linearity outside this range. The study also presents a novel equation that models the correlation between pipe incline and leakage rate. The findings of this study provide more knowledge to incorporate variations to the drip-irrigation technique on both flat and oblique land.