Refer to Example 4.8 to answer the following questions.
(a) Determine the pressure at junction F by accounting for pressure drops in pipes AB, BC, CH, and HF. (Recall that in Example 4.8 we arrived at the pressure at F by a different sequence of pressure drops.) Comment on your answer.
(b) Where is the lowest total energy in the system? How can you determine this by inspection (without calculations)?
(c) In Example 4.8, it was determined that the pressure at F would be too low to satisfy the customer, What system changes could be made to raise the pressure at junction F? (Hint: Examine the components of the Darcy-Weisbach equation, which was used to compute the head Joss.)
(d) Obtain computer software appropriate for solving pipe network problems (e.g., the EPANET, WaterCAD or WaterGEMS, or KYPipe programs noted earlier in this chapter) or write your own spreadsheet program and determine whether your suggestions for increasing the pressure at F work. Check flows and pressures for the existing system first to determine if you are entering the data correctly.