An MS excel add-in for teaching hydraulics of pipe flow in engineering curricula

Abstract

This paper presents implementation of an MS Excel add-in incorporating Visual Basic for Applications for teaching pipe flow calculations in undergraduate and graduate level. The add-in contains a total of 108 functions for several purposes ranging from continuity equation to branching pipes and pipe network problems. Tip texts and a number of userforms were developed for easy use of the tool. A user's guide was also prepared that includes the theory of hydraulic calculations and numerical methods involved. Being an add-in for MS Excel, the tool is a perfect candidate for implementing as an educational tool in undergraduate and graduate level education.