arXiv subjects

Pavel Praks

Publications and source records attributed to Pavel Praks.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2020

Review of new flow friction equations: Constructing Colebrook explicit correlations accurately

Using only a limited number of computationally expensive functions, we show a way how to construct accurate and computationally efficient approximations of the Colebrook equation for flow friction. The presented approximations are based on the asymptotic series expansion of the Wright Omega-function and symbolic regression. The results are verified with 8 million of Quasi-Monte Carlo points covering the domain of interest for engineers. In comparison with the built-in wrightOmega feature of Matlab R2016a, the herein introduced related approximations of the Wright Omega-function significantly accelerate the computation. With only two logarithms and several basic arithmetic operations used, the presented approximations are not only computationally efficient but also extremely accurate. The maximal relative error of the most promising approximation which is given in the form suitable for engineers use is limited to 0.0012%, while for a little bit more complex variant is limited to 0.000024%.

math.NA↗

arXiv2019

Short Overview of Early Developments of the Hardy Cross Type Methods for Computation of Flow Distribution in Pipe Networks

Hardy Cross originally proposed a method for analysis of flow in networks of conduits or conductors in 1936. His method was the first really useful engineering method in the field of pipe network calculation. Only electrical analogs of hydraulic networks were used before the Hardy Cross method. A problem with flow resistance versus electrical resistance makes these electrical analog methods obsolete. The method by Hardy Cross is taught extensively at faculties, and it remains an important tool for the analysis of looped pipe systems. Engineers today mostly use a modified Hardy Cross method which considers the whole looped network of pipes simultaneously (use of these methods without computers is practically impossible). A method from a Russian practice published during the 1930s, which is similar to the Hardy Cross method, is described, too. Some notes from the work of Hardy Cross are also presented. Finally, an improved version of the Hardy Cross method, which significantly reduces the number of iterations, is presented and discussed. We also tested multi-point iterative methods, which can be used as a substitution for the Newton-Raphson approach used by Hardy Cross, but in this case this approach did not reduce the number of iterations. Although many new models have been developed since the time of Hardy Cross, the main purpose of this paper is to illustrate the very beginning of modelling of gas and water pipe networks and ventilation systems. As a novelty, a new multi-point iterative solver is introduced and compared with the standard Newton-Raphson iterative method.

cs.CE↗

arXiv2019

An efficient iterative method for looped pipe network hydraulics

Original and improved version of the Hardy Cross iterative method with related modifications are today widely used for calculation of fluid flow through conduits in loops-like distribution networks of pipes with known node fluid consumptions. Fluid in these networks is usually natural gas for distribution in the municipalities, water in waterworks or hot water in district heating system, air in the case of ventilation systems in buildings or mines, etc. Since, the resistances in these networks depend of flow, problem is not linear like in electrical circuits, and iterative procedure must be used. In both version of the Hardy Cross method, in original and in the improved one, initial results of calculation in iteration procedure is not flow, but rather the correction of flow. Unfortunately, these corrections should be added to or subtracted from a flow calculated in previous iteration according to complicate algebraic rules. After the here presented node-loop method, final results in each of the iterations is flow directly rather than flow correction. In that way complex algebraic scheme for sign of flow correction is avoided, while the final results still remain unchanged. Numbers of required iterations for the same results are comparable with the improved Hardy Cross method.

cs.CE↗

arXiv2018

Accurate and efficient explicit approximations of the Colebrook flow friction equation based on the Wright-Omega function

The Colebrook equation is a popular model for estimating friction loss coefficients in water and gas pipes. The model is implicit in the unknown flow friction factor f. To date, the captured flow friction factor f can be extracted from the logarithmic form analytically only in the term of the Lambert W-function. The purpose of this study is to find an accurate and computationally efficient solution based on the shifted Lambert W-function also known as the Wright Omega-function. The Wright Omega-function is more suitable because it overcomes the problem with the overflow error by switching the fast growing term y=W(e^x) of the Lambert W-function to the series expansions that further can be easily evaluated in computers without causing overflow run-time errors. Although the Colebrook equation transformed through the Lambert W-function is identical to the original expression in term of accuracy, a further evaluation of the Lambert W-function can be only approximate. Very accurate explicit approximations of the Colebrook equation that contains only one or two logarithms are shown. The final result is an accurate explicit approximation of the Colebrook equation with the relative error of no more than 0.0096%. The presented approximations are in the form suitable for everyday engineering use, they are both accurate and computationally efficient.

math.NA↗

arXiv2018

Unified Friction Formulation from Laminar to Fully Rough Turbulent Flow

This paper gives a new unified formula for the Newtonian fluids valid for all pipe flow regimes from laminar to the fully rough turbulent. It includes laminar, unstable sharp jump from laminar to turbulent, and all types of the turbulent regimes: smooth turbulent regime, partial non-fully developed turbulent and fully developed rough turbulent regime. The formula follows the inflectional form of curves as suggested in Nikuradse's experiment rather than monotonic shape proposed by Colebrook and White. The composition of the proposed unified formula consists of switching functions and of the interchangeable formulas for laminar, smooth turbulent and fully rough turbulent flow. The proposed switching functions provide a smooth and a computationally cheap transition among hydraulic regimes. Thus, the here presented formulation represents a coherent hydraulic model suitable for engineering use. The model is compared to existing literature models, and shows smooth and computationally cheap transitions among hydraulic regimes.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2018

Symbolic regression based genetic approximations of the Colebrook equation for flow friction

Widely used in hydraulics, the Colebrook equation for flow friction relates implicitly to the input parameters; the Reynolds number, and the relative roughness of inner pipe surface, with the output unknown parameter; the flow friction factor. In this paper, a few explicit approximations to the Colebrook equation are generated using the ability of artificial intelligence to make inner patterns to connect input and output parameters in explicit way not knowing their nature or the physical law that connects them, but only knowing raw numbers. The fact that the used genetic programming tool does not know the structure of the Colebrook equation which is based on computationally expensive logarithmic law, is used to obtain better structure of the approximations which is less demanding for calculation but also enough accurate. All generated approximations are with low computational cost because they contain a limited number of logarithmic forms used although for normalization of input parameters or for acceleration, but they are also sufficiently accurate. The relative error regarding the friction factor in best case is up to 0.13% with only two logarithmic forms used. As the second logarithm can be accurately approximated by the Pade approximation, practically the same error is obtained also using only one logarithm.

cs.CE↗

arXiv2018

Choosing the optimal multi-point iterative method for the Colebrook flow friction equation -- Numerical validation

The Colebrook equation $\zeta$ is implicitly given in respect to the unknown flow friction factor $\lambda$; $\lambda=\zeta(Re,\epsilon^*,\lambda)$ which cannot be expressed explicitly in exact way without simplifications and use of approximate calculus. Common approach to solve it is through the Newton-Raphson iterative procedure or through the fixed-point iterative procedure. Both requires in some case even eight iterations. On the other hand numerous more powerful iterative methods such as three-or two-point methods, etc. are available. The purpose is to choose optimal iterative method in order to solve the implicit Colebrook equation for flow friction accurately using the least possible number of iterations. The methods are thoroughly tested and those which require the least possible number of iterations to reach the accurate solution are identified. The most powerful three-point methods require in worst case only two iterations to reach final solution. The recommended representatives are Sharma-Guha-Gupta, Sharma-Sharma, Sharma-Arora, D\v{z}uni\'c-Petkovi\'c-Petkovi\'c; Bi-Ren-Wu, Chun-Neta based on Kung-Traub, Neta, and Jain method based on Steffensen scheme. The recommended iterative methods can reach the final accurate solution with the least possible number of iterations. The approach is hybrid between iterative procedure and one-step explicit approximations and can be used in engineering design for initial rough, but also for final fine calculations.

math.NA↗

arXiv2018

Advanced iterative procedures for solving the implicit Colebrook equation for fluid flow friction

Empirical Colebrook equation from 1939 is still accepted as an informal standard to calculate friction factor during the turbulent flow through pipes from smooth with almost negligible relative roughness to the very rough inner surface. The Colebrook equation contains flow friction factor in implicit logarithmic form where it is, aside of itself, a function of the Reynolds number Re and the relative roughness of inner pipe surface. To evaluate the error introduced by many available explicit approximations to the Colebrook equation, it is necessary to determinate value of the friction factor from the Colebrook equation as accurate as possible. The most accurate way to achieve that is using some kind of iterative methods. Usually classical approach also known as simple fixed point method requires up to 8 iterations to achieve the high level of accuracy, but does not require derivatives of the Colebrook function as here presented accelerated Householder approach (3rd order, 2nd order: Halley and Schroder method and 1st order: Newton-Raphson) which needs only 3 to 7 iteration and three-point iterative methods which needs only 1 to 4 iteration to achieve the same high level of accuracy. Strategies how to find derivatives of the Colebrook function in symbolic form, how to avoid use of the derivatives (Secant method) and how to choose optimal starting point for the iterative procedure are shown. Householder approach to the Colebrook equations expressed through the Lambert W-function is also analyzed. One approximation to the Colebrook equation based on the analysis from the paper with the error of no more than 0.0617% is shown.

cs.CE↗

arXiv2018

One-Log Call Iterative Solution of the Colebrook Equation for Flow Friction Based on Pade Polynomials

The 80 year-old empirical Colebrook function, widely used as an informal standard for hydraulic resistance, relates implicitly the unknown flow friction factor, with the known Reynolds number and the known relative roughness of a pipe inner surface. It is based on logarithmic law in the form that captures the unknown flow friction factor in a way that it cannot be extracted analytically. As an alternative to the explicit approximations or to the iterative procedures that require at least a few evaluations of computationally expensive logarithmic function or non-integer powers, this paper offers an accurate and computationally cheap iterative algorithm based on Pade polynomials with only one log-call in total for the whole procedure (expensive log-calls are substituted with Pade polynomials in each iteration with the exception of the first). The proposed modification is computationally less demanding compared with the standard approaches of engineering practice, but does not influence the accuracy or the number of iterations required to reach the final balanced solution.

cs.CE↗