Churchill correlation (friction factor) Excel Calculation Tool
1. Introduction to Churchill correlation calculation tool
2. Friction factor free online Excel calculator
1. Introduction to Churchill correlation calculation tool
Calculate Darcy and Fanning pipe friction factors thanks to this Churchill correlation Excel calculation tool. Simply input the pipe diameter, pipe roughness, fluid characteristics including density, viscosity and flowrate and the calculation tool will compute the pipe friction factor for you. This is applicable for both laminar and turbulent flow.
Interactive Churchill Friction Factor Calculator
Hydrodynamic & Friction Results
The Churchill Correlation Equations
The Churchill (1977) equation explicitly calculates the Darcy-Moody friction factor (\(f_D\)) for any flow regime (laminar, transient, or turbulent). It is defined as:
\[ f_D = 8 \left[ \left(\frac{8}{Re}\right)^{12} + \frac{1}{(A + B)^{1.5}} \right]^{1/12} \]Where the dimensionless intermediate parameters \(A\) and \(B\) are calculated as:
\[ A = \left[ -2.457 \ln \left( \left(\frac{7}{Re}\right)^{0.9} + 0.27 \frac{\epsilon}{D} \right) \right]^{16} \] \[ B = \left( \frac{37530}{Re} \right)^{16} \]The Fanning friction factor is directly related to the Darcy friction factor by:
\[ f_F = \frac{f_D}{4} \]
For more information about the Churchill equation for pipe pressure drop calculation, you can refer to this other page on MyEngineeringTools.com : Churchill correlation (friction factor)
💡 Industrial Piping Design Rules of Thumb
- Economic Liquid Velocity: Keep velocities between 1.5 to 2.5 m/s (5 to 8 ft/s) for carbon steel pipes carrying clean liquids to optimize pump size and operational pressure drop.
- Erosive Liquid limit: For slurry transport or highly corrosive fluids, limit liquid velocity to under 1.5 m/s (4.5 ft/s) to avoid accelerated pipe wear.
- Gas Velocity Boundaries: Design gas velocities to range between 15 to 30 m/s (50 to 100 ft/s) to mitigate excessive pressure losses and high noise levels.
- Friction Factor Convergence: At extremely high Reynolds numbers (\(Re > 10^6\)), flow is fully turbulent, and the friction factor becomes completely independent of \(Re\), converging purely as a function of relative roughness \(\epsilon/D\).
- Typical Pipe Roughness Values:
- Commercial Steel / Carbon Steel (new): 0.045 mm (0.0018 in)
- Drawn Tubing (Copper, Plastic, Glass): 0.0015 mm (0.00006 in)
- Galvanized Iron: 0.15 mm (0.006 in)
- Cast Iron: 0.26 mm (0.010 in)
2. Friction factor free online Excel calculator
MyEngineeringTools.com has developed a free Excel friction factor calculator based on Churchill correlation.
Warning : this calculator is provided to illustrate the concepts mentioned in this webpage, it is not intended for detail design. It is not a commercial product, no guarantee is given on the results. Please consult a reputable designer for all detail design you may need.