Pressure drop calculation

Find out more about flow calculation using GlobalSpec search engine! The most frequently used calculation in fluid dynamics probably is the calculation of pressure drop through a pipe or channel. Also when the difference in pressure is known the same calculation is used to calculate possible flow rate through pipe. This calculator can be used for both laminar and turbulent flow regime. It can calculate pressure drop or flow rate through a pipe including friction losses and local pressure losses calculation. Explanation of used values Q volumetric flow rate G mass flow rate L pipe lenght D pipe diameter kr pipe roughness V velocity A area lambda friction coefficient Re Reynolds number delta boundary layer thickness rho fluid density view table ni kinematic viscosity view table mi dynamic viscosity view table ksi minor loss coefficient p1 pressure on the inlet p2 pressure on the outlet p1-p2 pressure drop Appliance Pressure drop calculator is based on the Bernouly equation for calculation of pressure difference between two points of one stream line, includung pressure losses due to friction and minor losses (like losses in bends, valves etc.). The pressure difference due to change of height is not included in this version of calculator. Also this calculator can be used for flow through pipe calculation when pressure difference is known. Units of measure are both in SI and English system. Pressure drop calculator can be used for calculation of:

volumetric flow - Q mass flow - G pressure on the inlet - p1 pressure on the outlet - p2 pressure drop - dp

velocity - V cross section area - A Reynolds number - Re friction coefficient - lambda boundary layer thickness - delta

For calculation of those values, necessary values for input are:

pipe diameter - D pipe lenght - L pipe roughness - kr kinematic viscosity - ni, or dynamic viscosity mi minor losses coefficient - ksi fluid density - rho

Theory In this calculator well known equations have been used. Here you can find all of them for your review. First of all, pressure drop through the pipe due to friction and local losses can be calculated as follows:

where is: Dp - pressure drop rho - fluid density view table Q - volumetric flow rate D - pipe diameter lambda - friction coefficient L - pipe lenght sum ksi - the sum of minor losses coefficient To calculate mass flow rate following equation is to be used: where is: G - mass flow rate For pressure drop calculation because of friction, viscocity of fluid has to be known. Relation between dynamic and kinematic viscosity is as follows: where is: mi - dynamic viscosity view table mi - kinematic viscosity view table Velocity of flowing fluid is calculated based on the continuity equation: where the cross section of round pipe is:

To find out if the flow is laminar or turbulant, Reynolds number must be calculated: Friction coefficient for laminar flow is: for flow in hidraulicaly smooth pipe (Blasius equation):

for turbulant flow with Re<100 000 (Prandtl equation):

for turbulant flow with Re>100 000 (Karman equation):

The boundary layer thickness (delta) can be calculated based on the Prandtl equation as: and when the boundary layer thickness is bigger than pipe roughness and if the flow is turbulent, than it can be considered as flow in hydraulicaly smooth pipe and Blasius equation is used. Help Although, use of pressure drop calculator is mainly straight forward, some tips might be useful. First of all, select if calculation if for pressure drop, or flow rate through pipe calculation. If calculation is for pressure drop than volumetric or mass flow rate must be entered. Using input values button, you can select which one is to input. For flow rate calculation, pressure drop must be entered, together with either pressure on the inlet, or on the outlet. In both cases lenght, diameter and pipe roughness, viscosity (kinematic or dynamic) and density of flowing fluid must be known. This calculator is also considering, pressure drop due to minor losses. It is calculated, based on the value of minor losses coefficient (ksi), which must be entered. Pressure difference due to change in geodetic height is not in the calculation in this calculator. As a result beside pressure drop or flow rate, this calculator is giving values of velocity, cross section area, friction coefficinet, Reynolds number,

boundary layer thickness and low regime.