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Pressure Pipe Flow Equation:
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Pressure pipe flow refers to the movement of fluid through a pipe under pressure. The flow rate depends on the pipe's cross-sectional area, the pressure head, and gravitational acceleration. This calculation is essential for designing and analyzing fluid transport systems.
The calculator uses the pressure pipe flow equation:
Where:
Explanation: The equation calculates flow rate based on the velocity of fluid flowing through an orifice or pipe under pressure, converted to gallons per minute.
Details: Accurate flow rate calculation is crucial for designing water supply systems, irrigation systems, industrial piping, and hydraulic engineering projects. It helps determine pipe sizing, pump requirements, and system efficiency.
Tips: Enter cross-sectional area in square feet, head in feet, and gravitational acceleration (default is 32.2 ft/s²). All values must be positive numbers.
Q1: What is head pressure in pipe flow?
A: Head pressure refers to the height of a fluid column that would produce the given pressure. It's measured in feet or meters of fluid.
Q2: How does pipe diameter affect flow rate?
A: Flow rate increases with the square of the pipe diameter. Doubling the diameter quadruples the flow rate for the same pressure.
Q3: When is this equation applicable?
A: This equation is suitable for incompressible fluids flowing through pipes with constant cross-section under steady pressure conditions.
Q4: What factors can affect accuracy?
A: Pipe roughness, fittings, bends, valves, fluid viscosity, and temperature can affect actual flow rates compared to theoretical calculations.
Q5: How to convert to different units?
A: For liters per minute, multiply gallons per minute by 3.785. For cubic meters per hour, multiply GPM by 0.227.