Plant Sizing Pipe Sizing - Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Example 1
Determine the smallest pipe which will carry 0.4 kg/s of water at 75oC using Copper, Table 'X'. Consult the Flow of Water in Pipes Table (Copper pipe at 75oC) below. The pipe diameters are written in bold type across the top of the table. The pressure loss per unit length (Pa/m) and velocity (m/s) are written down the LHS of the table. A red horizontal line is drawn across the table below 300 Pa/m. This means that suitable pipe sizes will be found above this line. The velocity follows a stepped line the lower blue line is the 1.0 m/s velocity line.

A 22 mm pipe will carry 0.4 kg/s but the pressure loss per unit length is below the red horizontal line and outside the table. The pressure loss is in fact (790 Pa/m) and is too high since the maximum should be 300 Pa/m. The velocity is also too high at about 1.3 m/s, the optimum being 1.0 m/s. If this is the case then look at the next pipe size up, at 28 mm. The flow rates closest to 0.4 are 0.394 and 0.414 kg/s. 0.4 kg/s is in between these two flow rates. A 28 mm pipe will carry 0.4 kg/s with a pressure loss of about 230 Pa/m and a velocity of 0.7 m/s. This meets the design criteria and therefore 28 mm would be a suitable pipe size.

Example 2
Determine a suitable pipe size for L.T.H.W. copper pipe for a flow rate of 1.0 kg/s. Answer: A 42 mm pipe gives a flow rate of 1.0 kg/s with a pressure loss of 160 Pa/m and velocity of about 0.9 m/s.

Example 3
Choose a pipe diameter for a heating system (L.T.H.W.) with a heat output of 32 kW. Answer: First find the mass flow rate of water required.

A 35 mm pipe will give a flow rate of 0.76 kg/s with a pressure loss of 250 Pa/m and a velocity of 0.95 m/s.

Example 4
Size the flow and return pipework to a 1.6 kW radiator.

A 15 mm pipe will give a flow rate of 0.038 kg/s with a pressure loss of 80 Pa/m and a velocity of about 0.25 m/s.

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