STEAM AND CONDENSATE PIPING SIZES S.P. Thermal Systems Inc.

Please use with care, and understanding of Steam Piping design Ph 416 876 0684 Email: info@spthermal.com | Website: spthermal.com
NOTE: This document is being supplied for reference only (S.P. Thermal Systems Inc. accepts no responsibility when using these charts)
RULE OF THUMB TO ACHIEVE: 6,000 to 12,000 fpm ( Feet per Minute ) NOTE: Higher Pressure Drop - Results in
Which is also: 100 Feet / Second to 200 Feet per Second 1- Loss of Energy 2- Noisey Steam Line 3- Erosion of System
When reviewing potential Pressure Drop review, pipe size, valves, elbows etc.
Steam System Piping Design to use Best Steam Velocity to use
(m/s) (ft/s) ft / Min Saturated Low Pressure Steam
Saturated Steam - High Pressure Application 25 - 40 82 - 131 4920 - 7860 Is normally common for Heating services and
Saturated Steam- Medium to Low Pressure Application 30-40 99 - 131 5940 - 7860 secondary process steam. Review Temperatures
Saturated Steam at Peak Loads Application < 50 < 164 < 9840
Steam and Water Mix application < 25 < 82 < 4920 Sat. steam High Pres. common on procees lines
Super Heated Steam Application 35 - 100 100 - 300 6000 - -18000 Super Heated steam common in Power Generation
and Turbine application

STEAM PIPE CAPACITY AT 5 psig in lbs / hour STEAM PIPE CAPACITY AT 15 psig in lbs / hour
Using Schedule 40 Pipe Using Schedule 40 Pipe
Steam Pipe capacity at 5 psig Steam Pressure Steam Pipe capacity at 15 psig Steam Pressure
Pipe Size Pressure Drop, psi per 100 Feet of pipe length Pipe Size Pressure Drop, psi per 100 Feet of pipe length
Inches 1/8 1/4 1/2 3/4 1 Inches 1/8 1/4 1/2 3/4 1 2
0.5 4 6 9 11 13 0.5 5 8 11 14 18 23
0.75 10 15 21 26 30 0.75 13 18 25 32 37 52
1 24 31 44 54 62 1 27 38 53 65 76 110
1.25 52 68 97 120 140 1.25 59 83 120 140 160 230
1.5 81 100 150 180 210 1.5 91 130 180 220 250 360
2 160 210 300 370 430 2 180 200 370 450 520 740
2.5 270 350 500 610 710 2.5 300 430 600 740 650 1,210
3 490 650 920 1,130 1,300 3 580 790 1,110 1,360 1,570 2,220
3.5 730 970 1,370 1,680 1,940 3.5 830 1,180 1,660 2,040 2,350 3,320
4 1,040 1,370 1,940 2,380 2,750 4 1,180 1,660 2,350 2,830 3,330 4,700
5 1,930 2,540 3,600 4,410 5,090 5 2,180 3,080 4,350 5,330 6,160 8,700
6 3,160 4,170 5,910 7,250 8,360 6 3,580 6,060 7,150 8,750 10,120 14,290
8 6,590 8,680 12,310 15,090 17,400 8 7,450 10,530 14,880 18,220 21,060 29,740
10 12,020 15,840 22,460 27,530 31,760 10 13,600 19,220 27,150 33,250 38,430 54,270
12 19,290 25,420 36,050 44,190 50,970 12 21,830 30,840 43,570 53,370 61,690 87,100

STEAM PIPE CAPACITY AT 30 psig in lbs / hour STEAM PIPE CAPACITY AT 50 psig in lbs / hour
Using Schedule 40 Pipe Using Schedule 40 Pipe
Steam Pipe capacity at 30 psig Steam Pressure Steam Pipe capacity at 50 psig Steam Pressure
Pipe Size Pressure Drop, psi per 100 Feet of pipe length Pipe Size Pressure Drop, psi per 100 Feet of pipe length
Inches 1/4 1/2 3/4 1 2 Inches 1/4 1/2 3/4 1 2 5
0.5 10 14 17 19 28 0.5
0.75 22 32 39 45 64 0.75 27 38 47 54 76 120
1 45 64 79 91 129 1 54 77 94 110 150 240
1.25 99 142 174 202 283 1.25 120 170 210 240 340 530
1.5 156 220 270 312 440 1.5 180 260 320 370 520 830
2 316 446 546 630 892 2 370 530 650 750 1,060 1,680
2.5 520 735 900 1,040 1,472 2.5 620 870 1,070 1,240 1,750 2,760
3 953 1,340 1,652 1,905 2,690 3 1,130 1,600 1,960 2,270 3,200 5,060
3.5 1,405 2,010 2,470 2,850 4,020 3.5 1,690 2,390 2,930 3,390 4,780 7,560
4 2,020 2,850 3,490 4,025 5,700 4 2,390 3,380 4,150 4,790 6,760 10,690
5 3,720 5,260 6,450 7,450 10,550 5 4,420 6,250 7,670 8,860 12,500 19,780
6 6,100 8,650 10,600 12,200 17,300 6 7,260 10,260 12,530 14,540 20,520 32,470
8 12,700 1,800 22,000 25,420 36,000 8 15,120 21,360 26,210 30,280 42,720 67,590
10 23,200 33,300 40,250 46,500 65,750 10 27,580 38,980 47,840 55,250 77,960 123,300
12 37,250 52,500 64,500 74,500 105,500 12 44,270 62,560 76,780 88,680 125,100 197,900

STEAM PIPE CAPACITY AT 60 psig in lbs / hour STEAM PIPE CAPACITY AT 100 psig in lbs / hour
Using Schedule 40 Pipe Using Schedule 40 Pipe
Steam Pipe capacity at 60 psig Steam Pressure Steam Pipe capacity at 100 psig Steam Pressure
Pipe Size Pressure Drop, psi per 100 Feet of pipe length Pipe Size Pressure Drop, psi per 100 Feet of pipe length
Inches 1/4 1/2 3/4 1 2 5 Inches 1/2 3/4 1 2 5
0.5 8 17 21 25 35 55 0.5 21 26 30 43 68
0.75 20 40 49 57 81 125 0.75 50 61 70 99 160
1 40 81 100 115 163 258 1 100 120 140 200 320
1.25 89 179 219 253 358 567 1.25 220 270 310 440 690
1.5 139 279 342 395 558 882 1.5 340 420 480 680 1,080
2 282 565 691 800 1,130 1,790 2 690 850 980 1,390 2,190
2.5 465 930 1,140 1,318 1,860 2,940 2.5 1,140 1,400 1,620 2,280 3,810
3 853 1,690 2,090 2,410 3,410 5,400 3 2,090 2,560 2,960 4,180 6,610
3.5 1,275 2,550 3,120 3,605 5,090 8,060 3.5 3,120 3,890 4,420 6,250 9,870
4 1,800 3,610 4,462 5,100 7,220 11,400 4 4,420 5,420 6,280 8,840 13,960
5 3,320 6,660 8,150 9,440 13,300 21,100 5 8,170 10,020 11,580 16,350 25,840
6 5,475 10,950 13,420 15,450 21,900 34,600 6 13,420 16,450 19,020 26,840 42,410
8 11,360 22,800 27,900 32,200 45,550 72,100 8 27,930 34,250 39,580 55,870 88,250
10 20,800 41,500 51,000 58,900 83,250 131,200 10 50,970 62,500 72,230 101,900 161,100
12 33,300 66,700 81,750 94,500 133,200 210,600 12 81,810 100,300 115,900 163,600 258,500

STEAM PIPE CAPACITY AT 125 psig in Lbs / hour STEAM PIPE CAPACITY AT 150 psig in Lbs / hour
Using Schedule 40 Pipe Using Schedule 40 Pipe
Steam Pipe capacity at 125 psig Steam Pressure Steam Pipe capacity at 150 psig Steam Pressure
Pipe Size Pressure Drop, psi per 100 Feet of pipe length Pipe Size Pressure Drop, psi per 100 Feet of pipe length
Inches 1/2 3/4 1 2 5 Inches 1/2 3/4 1 2 5
0.5 23 29 33 47 75 0.75 59 73 84 120 190
0.75 54 66 77 109 172 1 120 150 170 240 370
1 109 134 155 220 347 1.25 280 320 370 520 830
1.25 241 296 341 483 764 1.5 400 500 570 810 1,280
1.5 375 460 532 751 1,185 2 820 1,010 1,170 1,650 2,610
2 750 930 1,075 1,520 2,410 2.5 1,360 1,680 1,920 2,720 4,300
2.5 1,250 1,535 1,775 2,550 3,960 3 2,480 3,050 3,520 5,090 7,870
3 2,280 2,815 3,245 4,590 7,260 3.5 3,710 4,550 5,260 7,430 11,760
3.5 3,430 4,200 4,850 6,850 10,880 4 5,250 6,440 7,440 10,510 16,690
4 4,840 5,930 6,850 9,700 15,350 5 9,720 11,920 13,770 19,450 30,780
5 8,950 11,000 12,700 17,950 28,400 6 15,950 19,560 22,600 31,930 50,520
6 14,710 18,070 20,800 29,500 46,500 8 33,210 40,720 47,050 66,470 105,100
8 30,650 37,550 43,400 61,400 97,100 10 60,590 74,310 85,850 121,300 191,900
10 56,000 68,500 79,100 112,000 177,000 12 97,250 119,250 137,800 194,700 308,000
12 89,900 110,200 127,100 179,600 284,100
CONDENSATE PIPE SIZING EQUIVALENT LENGTH OF PIPE TO BE ADDED FOR FITTINGS

Condensate returns pipe capacity in lbs / hour Equivalent length of pipe to be added for fittings. SCH 40 ONLY
Low Pressure High Pressure Returns, Steam Pressure in psig Length in Feet to be added for Fittings
Pipe Size Gravity Vacuum Pipe Size Standard Side Gate Globe Angle
Inches Returns Returns 25 50 100 150 200 250 Inches Elbow Outlet Tee Valves Valves Valves
0.75 236 312 419 560 682 1,074 0.5 1.3 3 0.3 14 7
1 200 350 474 617 823 1,120 1,385 2,150 0.75 1.8 4 0.4 18 10
1.25 400 600 989 1,306 1,755 2,330 2,880 4,450 1 2.2 5 0.5 23 12
1.5 700 950 1,610 2,126 2,850 3,800 4,710 7,350 1.25 3 6 0.6 29 15
2 1,200 2,000 3,280 4,325 5,785 7,700 9,550 14,875 1.5 3.5 7 0.8 34 18
2.5 1,650 3,350 5,400 7,160 9,640 12,800 15,850 24,600 2 4.3 8 1.0 46 22
3 2,600 5,350 9,890 13,070 17,550 23,300 28,850 34,750 2.5 5.0 11 1.1 54 27
3.5 3,800 8,000 14,700 19,400 25,900 34,500 42,700 51,350 3 6.5 13 1.4 66 34
4 6,500 11,000 20,800 27,360 36,550 49,200 60,900 73,350 3.5 8 15 1.6 80 40
5 10,400 19,400 38,850 52,925 20,000 91,500 114,500 127,600 4 9 18 1.9 92 45
6 18,000 31,000 61,200 83,700 112,700 150,000 186,500 223,100 5 11 22 2.2 112 56
Pressure 6 13 27 2.8 136 67
Drop 0.25 0.5 0.625 0.75 1 1.25 1.5 8 17 35 3.7 180 92
Pressure Drop in psi per 100 Feet of equivalent length used in determining capacities given 10 21 45 4.6 230 112
Normal Steam Velocity is 6000 to 12,000 Feet / Minute 12 27 53 5.5 270 132
Note: Normal Steam Velocity is 80 feet / Second for good design purposes.
Pressure Drop should not Exceed 20 % of Total Max Pressure at the Boiler NOTE: Valves in Full open position, values
Boiler Pressure at Boiler 100 PSIG so Max Pressure drop should be 20 PSIG includes elbows, valves, steam velocity. Pressure drop is Loss of Energy
Example: If we assume a Steam Boiler size of 100 BHP, operating at 100 psi, what size Steam and Condensate return line size to be installed
If process is about 100 Feet from the boiler. Pressure drop at process is to be kept as minimum
Answer: 1. Determine the lbs of steam available. (100 BHP x 34.5) = 3450 lbs / hour of Steam
2 Select Steam line size from 100 psi Chart Table. Use 2 psig drop / 100 feet as standard, where possible & if it is suitable, to keep cost lower
Therefore from Chart we will require to use a 3" Diameter pipe which is capable of up to 4180 lbs / hour of steam
3 Select a Condensate Return line size
The size required will have to be a 2" Diameter, if we look under the 100 psig high pressure return column.
This will be capable of up to 5785 lbs / hour of condensate
4. Steam and return condensate piping going to other process, might require smaller piping, based on steam load at those process.