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PipeFlowExpertSoftwareHelp

CvandKvFlowCoefficients
ManymanufacturesofcontrolvalveschoosetopublishaCvflowcoefficientoraKvflowcoefficienttodescribetheflow/pressure
losscharacteristicsoftheircontrolvalvesinastandardizedmanner.

CvFlowCoefficients:

ACvflowcoefficientspecifiestheamountofwaterat60F(15.55C)inUSgpmthatwillflowthroughavalveandproducea1.0psi
pressuredrop.ThusaCvflowcoefficientof10indicatesthata1.0psipressuredropwilloccurwitha10USgpmofwater
throughputthroughthevalve.

TheCvflowcoefficientofacontrolvalvecanbecalculatedfromtheflowrateandthepressuredropthroughthevalve.Forliquids
otherthanwatertheratioofthefluiddensitytothedensityofwatermustalsobeusedinthecalculation.

Where:
Cv=flowcoefficient
Q=flowrateinUSgpm
P=pressurelossinpsiacrossthevalve
SG=theratioofthefluiddensitytothedensityofwater

WithaknownCvflowcoefficienttheaboveformulacanberearrangedtocalculatethepressurelossforaparticularflowratethus:

Where:
Cv=flowcoefficient
Q=flowrateinUSgpm
P=pressurelossinpsiacrossthevalve
SG=theratioofthefluiddensitytothedensityofwater

Thepressurelossthroughafittingorvalvemayalsobecalculatedfrom:

Where:
hfluid=headoffluidinft.
K=flowcoefficientofavalveorfitting
V=fluidvelocityenteringthefittinginft/s
g=accelerationduetogravityinft/sec2

also

Where:
P=pressureinpsi
hfluid=headoffluidinft.
D=densityoffluidinlbs/ft3

Thusa1.0psipressuredropisequivalentto2.31ftheadofwateratNormalTemperature&Pressure(NTP)or62.3lbs/ft3.

WhenapipediameterisknownitispossibletoestablishaflowvelocityfromtheCvflowcoefficientinUSgpmfora1psipressure
drop.ThusitispossibletocalculateanequivalentfittingKfactorwhichwillproducethesamepressurelossasthecontrolvalveCv
rating.

PipeFlowExpertusestheequivalentfittingKfactormethodtomodeltheflowandpressurelossthroughacontrolvalvewhereaCv
flowcoefficientisusedtospecifythecontrolvalvecharacteristics.

AchangetothepipediameterwouldresultinachangetothevalueoftheequivalentfittingKfactor.
PipeFlowExpertrecalculatestheequivalentfittingKfactorforthecurrentpipediameterandthefluiddensityatthestartofthe
solutioncalculation.

ThecalculationhelperprovidedontheCvcomponentdialogusestheflowrateandpressurelossenteredbytheuser,togetherwith
thecurrentfluiddensitytocalculateaCvvaluetomatchthespecifiedrequirements.
http://www.pipeflow.com/public/PipeFlowExpertSoftwareHelp/desktop/Cv_and_Kv_Flow_Coefficients1.htm

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Cv=0.865Kv(ormoreaccuratelyCv=0.86497767Kv)

KvFlowCoefficients:

AKvflowcoefficientspecifiestheamountofwaterat20C(68F)inm3/hourthatwillflowthroughavalveandproducea1.0bar
pressuredrop.ThusaKvflowcoefficientof10indicatesthata1.0barpressuredropwilloccurwitha10m3/hourofwater
throughputthroughthevalve.

TheKvflowcoefficientofacontrolvalvecanbecalculatedfromtheflowrateandthepressuredropthroughthevalve.Thedensityof
theliquidinkg/m3mustalsobeusedinthecalculation.

Where:
Kv=flowcoefficient
Q=flowrateinm3/hr
P=pressurelossinbaracrossthevalve
D=thedensityofthefluidinkg/m3
1000=thedensityofwaterinkg/m3

TheusualarrangementoftheformulaforcalculationofKvisshownabove.
ItcanbeseenthatthisformulaissimilartotheonewhichisusedforcalculationofCvvalues.

WithaknownKvflowcoefficient,theaboveformulacanberearrangedtocalculatethepressurelossforaparticularflowratethus:

Where:
Kv=flowcoefficient
Q=flowrateinm3/hr
P=pressurelossinbaracrossthevalve
D=thedensityofthefluidinkg/m3
1000=thedensityofwaterinkg/m3

Thepressurelossthroughafittingorvalvemayalsobecalculatedfrom:

Where:
hfluid=headoffluidinmeters.
K=flowcoefficientofavalveorfitting
V=fluidvelocityenteringthefittinginm/s
g=accelerationduetogravityinmeters/sec2

also

Where:
P=pressureinbar
hfluid=headoffluidinmeters

D=densityoffluidinkg/m3
g=accelerationduetogravityinmeters/sec2

WhenapipediameterisknownitispossibletoestablishaflowvelocityfromtheKvflowcoefficientinm3/hrfora1barpressure
drop.ThusitispossibletocalculateanequivalentfittingKfactorwhichwillproducethesamepressurelossasthecontrolvalveKv
rating.

PipeFlowExpertusestheequivalentfittingKfactormethodtomodeltheflowandpressurelossthroughacontrolvalvewhereaKv
flowcoefficientisusedtospecifythecontrolvalvecharacteristics.

http://www.pipeflow.com/public/PipeFlowExpertSoftwareHelp/desktop/Cv_and_Kv_Flow_Coefficients1.htm

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AchangetothepipediameterwouldresultinachangethematchingequivalentfittingKfactor.
PipeFlowExpertrecalculatestheequivalentfittingKfactorforthecurrentpipediameterandthefluiddensityatthestartofthe
solutioncalculation.

ThecalculationhelperprovidedontheKvcomponentdialogusestheflowrateandpressurelossenteredbytheuser,togetherwith
thecurrentfluiddensitytocalculateaKvvaluetomatchthespecifiedrequirements.

1.000Kv=1.156Cv

TheusershouldbeawarethattheCvorKvflowcoefficientspecifiestheflowrateofwaterforaparticularpressureloss.

Whenthefluiddensityisgreaterorlessthanwater,adifferentflowratewillberequiredtoproducea1.00psiora1barpressure
lossthroughthevalve.

CAUTIONS:

ChokedFlow:
Ifthefluidisagasandthepressuredropexceeds50%oftheinletpressuretothevalve,theflowwillbecomechokedanditwill
notbepossibleachievethecalculatedflowrate.

PipeFlowExpertdoesnotmodelchangesinthegascharacteristicsduetopressureortemperaturechanges.

TocorrectlymodelthepressuredropfortheenteredCvorKvvaluethedensityofthegasusedinthecalculationmustbethedensityofthegas
attheoutletofthevalve/component.

Ineffectthismeansthatthefluiddataforthefluidzoneassociatedwiththecontrolvalvemustbedefinedfortheapproximatepressurecondition
attheoutletofthevalve/component.

Thepressuredropforthegasflowratethroughthevalve,basedontheenteredCvorKvflowcoefficientandthefluidzonedensityinthepipe
willbecalculated.

Thecalculatedpressuredropaccountsfortheeffectoftheexpansionofthegasthroughthevalvesinceusingtheapproximatefluiddensityof
thegasatthevalveoutlet(asspecifiedinthefluidzoneassociatedwiththepipe)duringcalculationofthesolution,catersforthischaracteristic.

Ifthefluidzoneassociatedwiththecontrolvalvedoesnotrepresentthepressureconditionattheoutletofthevalve/component,itmaybe
necessarytouseanadjustedCv(orKv)valueforvalveselectiontotakeintoaccounttheeffectofthegasexpansion.

TheadjustedCv(orKv)valueshouldbebasedontheCvorKvformulaforsubcriticalgaspressuredrop.

AsimplifiedversionoftheCvformulaforsubcriticalgaspressuredropisshownbelow:

Where:
Cv=flowcoefficient
SCFH=flowrateinft3/hr(NTP)
Dn=thegasdensityinlbs/ft3at0.00psig
oF=gastemperature

p=pressurelossinpsiabsolute
po=valveoutletpressureinpsiabsolute

AsimplifiedversionoftheKvformulaforsubcriticalgaspressuredropisshownbelow:

Where:
Kv=flowcoefficient
Q=flowrateinm3/hr(NTP)
Dn=thegasdensityinkg/m3at0.00barg
oC=gastemperature

p=pressurelossinbarabsolute
po=valveoutletpressureinbarabsolute

Pleaserefertoanappropriatetextbookforamoredetailedformulatotakeaccountofpipinggeometryorgascompressibility,should
thisbenecessary.

Controlvalveselection:
http://www.pipeflow.com/public/PipeFlowExpertSoftwareHelp/desktop/Cv_and_Kv_Flow_Coefficients1.htm

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TheCv(orKv)flowcoefficientofacontrolvalveisusuallystatedforthefullyopenflowcondition.
TheCv(orKv)flowcoefficientwillbelesswhenthevalveispartlyclosed.

InanactualsystemitisimportanttoselectacontrolvalvewhichhasanappropriateCv(orKv)flowcoefficientfortheactualvalve
positionthatwillbeused.Acontrolvalvethatistoosmallortoolargewillneverbeabletoprovidethecorrectcontrolinasystem.

MostcontrolvalvemanufacturesrecommendthatyoushouldselectavalvewheretherequiredCv(orKv)valuefallsbetween20%
80%oftheportopening.
Somecontrolvalvemanufacturesrecommendthatanallowanceof30%shouldbeaddedtothecalculatedCv(orKv)flowcoefficient
toobtaintheminimumfullflowCv(orKv)flowcoefficientratingwhichtheselectedvalveshouldhave(whenfullyopen).

Pleasecheckyourcontrolvalveselectionwiththecontrolvalvemanufacturer.

http://www.pipeflow.com/public/PipeFlowExpertSoftwareHelp/desktop/Cv_and_Kv_Flow_Coefficients1.htm

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