Pressure Gradient Resulting from Turbulent and Viscous Friction in Smooth Pipes

In the case of irrigation processes involving irrigation pipelines, the determination of pressure losses is imperative in order to optimize the irrigation pipe network and to increase energy efficiency. In general, hydraulically smooth pipes are applied for irrigation activities, especially in drip irrigation, where they are manufactured from PE and applied to irrigation wings or laterals, distributing irrigation water following a specific scheme according to the type of agricultural crops irrigated. In this sense, the turbulent flows in smooth pipes cause in one time activity of turbulent and viscosity tangential tensions, which are various and dependence of distance to inside surface of the pipes and values of Reynolds number. This tensions generate pressure losses and their distribution and values are necessary for practice and science investigation, so that they are subject of this paper. As a result are shown analytical regularities about the distribution and values of the pressure losses expressed as a pressure gradient, realized in a cross section of the flow and along the hydraulically smooth pipe area.