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So, you want to know the correct pipe size for your compressed air installation? It easy, I'll explain
how.
I still see too many places where the pipe size of the compressed air system is too small. It's either
because the factory or workshop has grown over time, and the old system became too small (quite
understandable), or they just installed a too small pipe to begin with!
What's the problem with a too small compressed air pipe? Pressure drop!
If too much air needs to pass a too small pipe, it will have trouble passing through this pipe. The
result is a pressure drop between the beginning of the pipe and the end of the pipe.
Now, what's the problem with pressure drop you ask? Money!
If the pressure drop becomes too high, you will need to set your compressor on a higher setpoint.
The higher the setpoint of your compressor, the more energy (and money) it will use.
Therefore, the pressure drop should be maximum 0,1! This means that the pressure at the point-ofuse should be maximum 0.1 bar lower than the pressure at the compressor outlet. For example 6.9
bar at the point-of use and 7 bar at the compressor.
Air flow
Diameter of pipe
Length of pipe
To start, you need to know the air flow through your system. The easiest way to find out the
(maximum) air flow, is too look at the specs of your compressor (look in the manual or search
online).
There will always be one line that tells you the maximum output of the machine in liters/second, m3
per minute or hour, or cubic feet per minute (cfpm).
This is the maximum amount of air the compressor is able to pump out, at the rated pressure.
But be careful, there is one important thing to look out for
N m3/h S cfpm
50m
100m
150m
300m
500m
750m
1000m
2000m
164ft
328ft
492ft
984ft
1640ft
2460ft
3280ft
6561ft
10
15
15
15
20
20
25
25
25
30
18
15
15
15
25
25
25
25
40
50
29
15
25
25
25
40
40
40
40
70
41
25
25
25
40
40
40
40
40
100
59
25
25
40
40
40
40
40
63
150
88
25
40
40
40
40
40
40
63
250
147
40
40
40
40
63
63
63
63
350
206
40
40
40
63
63
63
63
80
500
294
40
40
63
63
63
63
63
80
750
441
40
63
63
63
63
80
80
100
1000
589
63
63
63
63
63
80
80
100
1250
736
63
63
63
63
63
100
100
100
1500
883
63
63
63
80
80
100
100
125
1750
1030
63
63
80
80
80
100
100
125
2000
1177
63
80
80
80
100
100
100
125
2500
1471
63
80
80
80
100
125
125
125
3000
1766
80
80
76
100
100
125
125
150
3500
2060
80
80
100
100
125
125
125
150
4000
2354
80
100
100
100
125
125
125
150
4500
2649
80
100
100
125
125
125
150
150
5000
2943
80
100
100
125
125
150
150
150
A pipe with one bend in it will have a greater pressure drop compared to a pipe with no bend. A pipe
with a bend and a coupling will have an even greater pressure drop.
Now, I could give you all sorts of difficult formulas, but I know an easier way.
Below is a table to lookup what is called the 'equivalent pipe length' for a generated pressure drop.
It is simply a way to express the pressure drop for a certain bend or coupling will create, but not in
bars (or psi) but in 'virtual' added pipe length.
Simply add extra 'virtual' meters of pipe to your pressure drop calculation (table 1 above) for every
bend or valve in your system.
25 mm
40 mm
50 mm
80 mm
0.5
0.6
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
0.25
0.3
0.5
0.8
1.0
1.5
Knee-bend (90
degrees)
1.5
2.5
3.5
10
15
T-piece
10
15
20
Check valve
10
15
25
30
50
60
Diaphragm valve
1.2
2.0
3.0
4.5
10
Gate valve
0.3
0.5
0.7
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
For example a knee-bend in a 25mm pipe has an equivalent pipe length of 1.5 meters. This means
that this knee-bend will create the same pressure drop as 1.5 meters of straight pipe.
Let's say we have a rotary screw compressor of 30 kW that can supply 250 Nm3/hour (normal cubic
meters per hour). 250 Nm3/hour is the same as 4200 Nl/min (normal liter per minute) or 150 scfpm
(standard cubic feet per minute).
We think that a 40mm diameter pipe should be ok, be we want to be sure by using the above tables.
Let's say we have 20 meters of pipe of, with a 90 degrees bend (R = 2d, which means the radius of
the bend is 2 times the diameter of the pipe) and a check valve, and then again 4 meters pipe.
The equivalent pipe length for this kind of bend is 0.25 meters. The equivalent pipe length for a
check valve is 10 meters.
Our total meters now become: 20 + 0.25 +10 + 4 =34.25 meters.
Now we can look up the required pipe diameter in table 1 (above), with a pipe length of 34.25
meters. Looking in table 1 at 34.25 meters (which isn't listed, but we'll take the next value) and 250
Nm3/hour, we get 40 mm pipe diameter.
Of course, one bend or coupling doesn't change the pressure drop much. But with a large system
with many bends, valves and couplings, the pressure drop adds up quickly.
For a new system, if you're not sure how many bends, couplings and other stuff will be installed in
the system, multiply the estimated meters by 1.7 for the pressure drop calculation. This is a basic
rule of thumb.
Back from "Compressed Air Pipe Sizing Calculation" to "Compressed Air Piping"
Back from "Compressed Air Pipe Sizing Calculation" to "Air Compressor Guide"
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