Reference: Flow of Fluids through Valves, Fittings and Pipe Metric Edition – SI Units, Crane Technical Paper 410M, page 3-16 Example 2


Pipe Flow Expert File: Case_19_Air_Flow_Rate_Through_Steel_Pipe.pfe


Problem Description: 

Air at 30 bar.g and 15° C flows through a steel pipe with a 40.3 mm inside diameter, at a rate of 4000 standard cubic metres per hour at metric standard conditions (1.01325 bar and 15°C).  

Find the flow rate in kilograms per hour and the velocity in metres per minute.


The calculation method used for the published data was Darcy’s equation.


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Fluid Data: Air at 15 °C, 0 bar.g, density 1.226 kg/m3, viscosity 0.01795 centipoise.

Pipe Data: Roughness 0.046 mm (pipe material Steel (ANSI) schedule 40).

Calculation Method: General Isomthermal equation, Node Adjust Method.

Standard Atmospheric Model: 15°C, 0.0 bar.g

Gas Physical Model: Ideal Gas Law


Result Comparison: 


Data Item

Published data

Pipe Flow Expert

Mass Flow (kg/hour)

4900

4904

Velocity (m/min)

1700

1708 (entry velocity) (28.459 m/s)

1712 (exit velocity)   (28.530 m/s)



Commentary:

The published data and the calculated results compare well.