Connecting pipes of different sizes
Hi everyone,
I apologize, this is probably going to seem like a really dumb question. I'm working as an intern in a developing country with rural water systems. I previously studied treatment, not infrastructure, and I'm having a conceptual brain fart with some pipe work.
I have a water storage tank that has two outlet valves connected to PVC pipes. One is 1.5" diameter and the other 0.5". It was proposed that we connect the two outlet pipes, since we've been having issues with the users on the receiving end of the smaller pipe not receiving water.
Note: This is actually more of a logistical problem: there isn't anyone in charge of opening the valves, so nearby users simply open the big valve and drain the tank while the other small valve remains closed. So really, organization and rules re: valve opening and water use are more key than engineering work here.
Regardless, my dumb question: If I connect a 1.5" pipe (via a Y or T connector) to a 1.5" pipe and a 0.5" pipe (with reductor), can I calculate the flow rate through the two pipes knowing the original flow (say, for example, 1 L/s)? How would I do that? Also, am I missing any other really obvious considerations here, like creating a bad pressure profile by doing something like this?