Control Valve Sizing for Gas Service
Jaydeep Jethaloja, M.E.Chemical, BITS Pilani
Process Plant consist of many
control loops which are designed to
keep the process variables such as
temperature, pressure, level and
flow in desired range to ensure
quality of the product. Each of these
loops receives disturbance that
affect process variable (PV). Sensors
and Transmitter collect information
about PV and generate signal as per
desired set point. A controller
compare that information with set
point and decides appropriate action
to get back PV to desired value. The
final control element must be
employed to implement that
strategy.
Control Valve is most common type
of final control element, which
manipulates a flowing fluid to keep
PV in desired range.
Based on ISA/ANSI standard, step
by step procedure for sizing control
valve for Gas service given below:
1) Select desired valve design and
collect information on variable
required for sizing of control
valve.
2) Determine Equation Constant N2,
N5 and N6, N8 or N9. These are
constant used in equation to
offer means for using different
unit system.
N6 is used when mass flow rate
and density are known, N8 is used
when mass flow rate and
compressibility factor are known
and N9 is used when standard
volumetric flow rate is known.
3) Guess control valve size, estimate
CV value and corresponding XT value.
4) Determine FP, Piping Geometry
factor and XTP, Pressure drop ratio
factor.
Piping geometry factor can be
defined as:
Piping geometry factor is correction
factor which account pressure losses
due to the fitting such as reducers,
elbows which are attached to inlet &
outlet line of control valve. If there
no such fitting attached, piping
geometry factor shall be 1.
−𝟎.𝟓
ℇ𝐊 𝐂𝐕 𝟐
𝐅𝐏 = [𝟏 + ( )]
𝐍𝟐 𝐝 𝟒
Where,
FP = Piping geometry factor
N2 = Constant value
CV = Valve coefficient
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d = control valve size (in) Outlet Bernoulli coefficient KB2:
ƐK = algebraic sum of velocity head 𝐝𝟒
loss coefficient of fitting 𝐊 𝐁𝟐 =𝟏− 𝟒
𝐃𝟐
ƐK, Velocity head coefficient can be Where,
defined as:
D1 = Inlet Pipe diameter (in)
ƐK = K1 + K2 + KB1 - KB2
D2 = Outlet Pipe diameter (in)
Where,
K1 and K2 are Resistance coefficient
of upstream and downstream fitting XTP (Pressure drop ratio factor) can
respectively. be calculated as below:

KB1 and KB2 are inlet and outlet

Bernoulli coefficient respectively. 𝐗𝐓
𝐅𝐏𝟐
Most commonly reducers are 𝐗 𝐓𝐏 =
𝐂𝟐
attached with control valve at inlet 𝐗 𝐓 (𝐊 𝟏 + 𝐊 𝐁𝟏 ) ( 𝐕𝟒 )
𝐝
and outlet. 𝟏+
𝐍𝟓
For Inlet reducers:
𝟐
𝐝𝟐 5) Determine Pressure drop ratio for
𝐊 𝟏 = 𝟎. 𝟓 (𝟏 − 𝟐 )
𝐃𝟏 sizing of control valve for gas service:
Find actual pressure drop ratio
For Outlet reducers: through control valve:
𝟐 ∆𝐏
𝐝𝟐 𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍 =
𝐊 𝟐 = 𝟏. 𝟎 (𝟏 − 𝟐 ) 𝐏𝟏
𝐃𝟐
Find the specific heat ratio factor Fγ:
Fγ = γ/1.4
Inlet Bernoulli coefficient KB1:
Where,
𝐝𝟒
𝐊 𝐁𝟏 =𝟏− 𝟒 γ is specific heat ratio of gas.
𝐃𝟏
Choked Pressure drop ratio can be
calculate as:
𝐱 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 = 𝐅𝛄 ∗ 𝐗 𝐓𝐏

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The lesser of actual pressure drop
ratio and chocked pressure drop
Check if calculated CV is well within
ratio, can be used for calculating
range of selected control valve. If
required valve coefficient as xsizing.
not, select next control valve size
Expansion Ratio can be calculated as: and repeat calculation from step 1.
𝒙𝒔𝒊𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 To get an accurate result for CV, the
𝐘=𝟏−
𝟑 ∗ 𝐱 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 calculations are repeated by
reinserting calculated CV value &
control valve size (d) into FP equation
6)Cv can be calculated by following until it converges.
three equations depending on data
available:
Equation Constant:

1) For mass flow rate and density: N w q P D,d

𝐰 N1 1 gpm psia
𝐂𝐯 =
𝐍𝟔 𝐅𝐏 𝐘√𝐱 𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝟏 𝛒𝟏 N2 890 in
N5 1000 in
2) For mass flow and compressibility: N6 63.3 lb/h psia
N8 19.3 lb/h psia
𝐰 𝐓𝟏 𝐙𝟏
𝐂𝐕 = √ N9 7320 schf psia
𝐍𝟖 𝐅𝐏 𝐏𝟏 𝐘 𝐌𝐱 𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠

3) For standard volumetric flow rate

and compressibility:

𝐪 𝐌𝐓𝟏 𝐙𝟏
𝐂𝐕 = √
𝐍𝟗 𝐅𝐏 𝐏𝟏 𝐘 𝐱 𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠

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Sample Problem:
A globe style control valve is sized for superheated steam service. The control
valve is cage guided plug style with linear flow characteristic.
The control valve is placed on NPS 6, sch standard line.
Sizing coefficient for single ported, Globe style valve bodies:

Valve Size (NPS) Cv at 100% opening XT

1 8.84 0.92
1.5 39.2 0.66
2 72.9 0.64
3 148 0.62
4 236 0.69
6 433 0.74
8 846 0.81

The process fluid conditions are as follow:

Parameter Value Units

Flow rate (w) 125000 lb/h

Inlet Pressure (P1) 500 psig

Outlet Pressure (P2) 250 psig

Inlet Temp (C) 260 C

Density 1.042 lb/ft3

Specific heat ratio 1.33
Pressure drop 250 psig

Solution:
Guess Control Valve Size: NPS 4 at
100% opening
CV = 236, XT = 0.69

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 −0.5
Calculate Piping geometry factor, ℇK CV 2
F P: FP = [1 + ( )]
N 2 d4
First, we have to calculate total −0.5
0.48 2362
velocity head loss coefficient, ƐK = [1 + ( )]
890 4 4

Inlet and Outlet line are identical, 6 = 0.95

NPS as given.
Outer dia of inlet pipe = 6.62 in
Pressure drop ratio factor, XTP:
Outer dia of outlet pipe = 6.62 in
XT
Inlet pipe wall thickness = 0.28 in FP2
XTP =
CV2
Outlet pipe wall thickness = 0.28 in XT (K1 + K B1 ) ( )
d4
1+
Inner dia of inlet pipe = 6.62 – 2*0.28 N5

D1 = 6.1 in
In same manner, D2 = 6.1 in 0.69
= 0.952
Selected Valve Size, d = 4 in 2362
0.69(0.16 + 0.81) ( 4 )
4
ƐK = K1 + K2 + KB1 - KB2 1+
1000
2
42
K1 = 0.5 (1 − )
6.12 = 0.67
= 0.16
4 4 Pressure drop ratio for sizing, xsizing:
K B1 =1−
6.14
Actual pressure drop ratio through
= 0.81 control valve, xactual=
∆P
P1
Since, inlet and outlet pipe size
identical. Hence, KB1 = KB2 = 250/514.7
2 = 0.49
d2
εK = 1.5 (1 − 2 ) Specific heat ratio factor Fγ:
D1
42
2 Fγ = 1.33/1.4
= 1.5 (1 − )
6.12
= 0.95
= 0.48

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 Chocked pressure drop ratio: Required CV = 163.8
xchoked = 0.95 ∗ 0.67 Degree of opening = (163.8/236)
= 0.64 = 69.4%
Since xactual < xchocked, NPS 4 Valve with linear trim would
be suitable for given capacity. The
xsizing = 0.49
next smaller valve with linear trim
Expansion Ratio can be calculated as: rated CV of 148, it will not be
0.49 appropriate for given capacity.
Y=1−
3 ∗ 0.64 In actual practice, control valve
= 0.75 sizing done for min, Normal and max
flow rate, Valve should be operated
Calculation of Valve Coefficient:
in range of 20% to 80%. This article is
For mass flow rate and density: written just for demonstration of
𝟏𝟐𝟓𝟎𝟎𝟎 control valve sizing procedure.
𝐂𝐯 =
𝟔𝟑. 𝟑 ∗ 𝟎. 𝟗𝟓 ∗ 𝟎. 𝟕𝟓√𝟎. 𝟒𝟗 ∗ 𝟓𝟏𝟒. 𝟕 ∗ 𝟏. 𝟎𝟒𝟐

References:
= 173.1 lb/psi^0.5
Control Valve Handbook, Emerson
Calculated CV is well within range of
selected control valve.
To get an accurate result for CV,
reinserting calculate value of 173.1,
the value of FP, XTP and CV evaluate
iteratively.

Iteration FP XTP CV
1 1 0.64 163.8
2 1 0.64 163.8
3 1 0.64 163.8
4 1 0.64 163.8
5 1 0.64 163.8
6 1 0.64 163.8

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