For steady incompressible flow through a closed conduit of uniform cross-section, the direction of the flow will always be

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This question was previously asked in

JKSSB JE (Civil) Official Paper (Held On: 19 Nov, 2023)

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Answer 1

Explanation:

In steady incompressible flow through a closed conduit (like a pipe), the flow is driven by differences in energy per unit weight of fluid, often represented as head.
In closed conduit flow, the direction of flow is governed by a decrease in piezometric head, not just pressure or elevation alone.
The fluid moves from a location of higher piezometric head to a lower one, which combines both pressure and elevation effects.
This is in line with Bernoulli’s principle, which states energy (head) is conserved, and losses occur due to friction.

Additional Information

In incompressible, steady flow through a closed pipe of uniform cross-section, water moves from regions of higher piezometric head to lower piezometric head.
This occurs because fluid flows in the direction of decreasing total energy (per unit weight), which is governed by both pressure and elevation—not one alone.
A pipeline runs uphill, meaning elevation increases—but if the pressure is high enough at the start, the total piezometric head can still decrease along the pipe, allowing flow to continue upward.