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MartinMelendez-f8a771c0 Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo - Investigadores dominicanos desarrollan fórmula para optimizar sistemas de tuberías

Publication date:

January 14 2025

Dominican researchers develop formula to optimize pipeline systems


A group of INTEC researchers developed a formula that allows for the exact calculation of water pressure loss in special parts and accessories of hydraulic systems, such as elbows, valves and heaters.

SANTO DOMINGO. A team of teachers of the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) developed a mathematical formula allowing measure accurately el friction factor and pressure loss that experiences the water when passing through accessories and special parts such as elbows, reducers, stopcocks, pressure diffusers, heaters, Válvulas and others within the pipelines.

The new formula, created by teachers Martin Meléndez Valencia, Javier García Maimó, Deyslen Mariano-Hernandez y Miguel Aybar-Mejia, is a tool that transforms the study and practice of hydraulic engineering by allowing accurate measurement of energy loss, facilitating decision-making to optimize systems, reduce costs and ensure an efficient supply of drinking water.

Until now, engineers who design buildings or technicians who install electric water pumps assumed losses equivalent to 15 or 20% for all accessories or were forced to perform exact calculations using the Moody Diagram, which involves making a manual and separate graph for each of the accessories, making a high investment of time.

“This formula makes an important contribution to engineering training programs being able to use the equation and allow calculations that were previously done in one or two hours to now be done in just minutes and with great accuracy, without the need to rely on rounding,” explained Meléndez, principal investigator.

La formula has a level of Accuracy greater than 99%, which was tested by various groups of INTEC engineering students through various practices over a whole academic year. During this time, they used the various methods available, validating the effectiveness of the new formula.

Meléndez said that the formula makes it possible to optimize the systems since, by knowing the losses exactly, the materials and dimensions of the pipes can be selected appropriately, which translates into energy and cost savings. Finally, he indicated that the formula could be integrated into engineering design programs, such as Autocad, Epaned and other similar ones, which would greatly facilitate its use in regular practice.

The professor with more than 20 years of experience in the Engineering Department at INTEC pointed out that the development of the formula took approximately two years, and that it was carried out using advanced data analysis techniques, computer simulation and reverse engineering. Meléndez said that the university will begin to implement it in its study programs.

Energy losses in pipes are inevitable due to the friction of water against internal walls and various fittings. These losses result in a decrease in water pressure and flow rate, which can affect the performance of pumping systems and the quality of service.

The results of the research that led to the creation of the formula were published in the scientific journal “Engineering and Applications” of INTEC.