Pipe and Tube Sizing

Butch G. Bataller
Lecture on ChE 192
 Diameter Calculations
Typical Diameter based on Typical Velocity
(Kent, 1980)

For Liquids,
 Diameter Calculations
Typical Diameter based on Typical Velocity
(Kent, 1980)

For Gases,
 Diameter Calculations
Minimum Diameter based on Maximum Velocity

For Clean Liquids,

 Diameter Calculations
Minimum Diameter based on Maximum Velocity

For Clean Gases,

 Diameter Calculations
Minimum Diameter based on Maximum Velocity

For Erosive/Corrosive Liquids,

 Diameter Calculations
Minimum Diameter based on Maximum Velocity

For Erosive/Corrosive Gases,

 Diameter Calculations
Optimum Economic Diameter (considering
piping, pumping and maintenance costs)

For Turbulent Flow and Di ≥ 0.0254 m,

 Diameter Calculations
Optimum Economic Diameter (considering
piping, pumping and maintenance costs)

For Turbulent Flow and Di < 0.0254 m,

 Diameter Calculations
Optimum Economic Diameter (considering
piping, pumping and maintenance costs)

For Viscous Flow and Di ≥ 0.0254 m,

 Diameter Calculations
Optimum Economic Diameter (considering
piping, pumping and maintenance costs)

For Viscous Flow and Di < 0.0254 m,

 Diameter Calculations
Optimum Economic Diameter
(Peters and Timmerhaus, 2004)

For Turbulent Flow and Di ≥ 0.0254 m,

0.363mv
0.45
c 0.025
Di ,opt   0.363q f
0.45
 0.13
 0.025

 0.32

D = opt pipe diameter (m), qf = vol. flowrate (m3/s), ρ = density (kg/m3), μ

= viscsity (Pa-s)
 Diameter Calculations
Optimum Economic Diameter
(Peters and Timmerhaus, 2004)

For Turbulent Flow and Di < 0.0254 m,

Di ,opt  0.49q f
0.49
 0.14
 0.027

D = opt pipe diameter (m), qf = vol. flowrate (m3/s), ρ = density (kg/m3), μ

= viscsity (Pa-s)
 Diameter Calculations
Optimum Economic Diameter
(Peters and Timmerhaus, 2004)

For Viscous Flow and Di ≥ 0.0254 m,

Di ,opt  0.133q f
0.36
 0.18

D = opt pipe diameter (m), qf = vol. flowrate (m3/s), ρ = density (kg/m3), μ

= viscsity (Pa-s)
 Diameter Calculations
Optimum Economic Diameter
(Peters and Timmerhaus, 2004)

For Viscous Flow and Di < 0.0254 m,

Di ,opt  0.133q f
0.40
 0.20

D = opt pipe diameter (m), qf = vol. flowrate (m3/s), ρ = density (kg/m3), μ

= viscsity (Pa-s)
 Diameter Calculations
Based on Suggested Velocity
• 3-5 ft/s (liquids) and 50-100 ft/s (gases)
 Backhurst and Harker, 1973

•5.9-7.9 ft/s (liquids) and 30-131 (gases)

 economic optimum velocity , Perry

•5-10 ft/s (liquids)

 Baasel, 1974
 Diameter Calculations
Typical Velocities in Steel Pipelines
 Diameter Calculations
Typical Velocities in Gas and Vapor lines
 Diameter Calculations
Typical Velocities in Equipment lines
 Diameter Calculations

Economic Velocities for Steel Pipe Sizing

 Diameter Calculations

Economic Velocities for Steel Pipe Sizing

 Sample Problems
1. Pipe is to be specified for a water volumetric
flowrate of 200 L/min and working
temperature of 30ºC. Compute for the
typical pipe diameter.

2. Pipe is to be specified for a water flowrate of

1500 L/min at 30ºC. Estimate for the
minimum diameter required based on
maximum fluid velocity
 Sample Problems
3. Sulfuric acid with a volume flowrate of 50
L/min and temperature 30ºC is supplied
through a pipeline. Calculate the pipe
minimum diameter required.

4. Compute for the minimum pipe diameter

requirement for the liquid flowing at of 550
L/min based on the reasonable velocity
presented by Backhurst and Harker (1973).
 Sample Problems
5. Methanol with a flowrate of 75 L/min is pumped
from a storage tank. Estimate the minimum
pipeline diameter (Sch 40) at the pump suction
connecting the storage tank.

6. Carbon dioxide is flowing at a rate of 150 L/min

inside a pipe. The temperature of the gas is 32
deg. C and the pipeline pressure is 150 psi.
Calculate the minimum diameter of the pipe if
the CO2 compressibility factor is 0.82 and the
piping cost is 25 $/in/ft.