Pipeline sizing on steam velocity

If pipework is sized on the basis of velocity, then calculations are based on the volume of steam being carried in relation to the cross sectional area of the pipe. For dry saturated steam mains, practical experience shows that reasonable velocities are 25 - 40 m/s, but these should be regarded as the maxima above which noise and erosion will take place, particularly if the steam is wet. Even these velocities can be high in terms of their effect on pressure drop. In longer supply lines, it is often necessary to restrict velocities to 15 m/s if high pressure drops are to be avoided. By using Table 2 (page 13) as a guide, it is possible to select pipe sizes from the steam pressure, velocity and flowrate. Alternatively the pipe size can be calculated by following the mathematical procedure as outlined below. In order to do this, we need to define the following information: Flow velocity (m/s) Specific volume (m3/kg) Mass flowrate (kg/s) Volumetric flowrate (m/s) C v m V

m(kg/s) x v(m3/kg)

From this information, the cross sectional area (A) of the pipe can be calculated: Cross sectional area (A) = Volumetric flowrate (V) Flow velocity m/sec (C) V C

i.e:

p x D2 4

This formula can be rearranged to give the diameter of the pipe: D \ D = = 4xV pxC

4xV pxC

This will produce the diameter of the pipe in metres. It can easily be converted into millimetres by multiplying by 1 000.

Example

It is required to size a pipeline to handle 5 000 kg/h of dry saturated steam a 7 bar g, and 25 m/s required flow velocity. - Flow velocity (C) - Specific volume (v) - Mass flowrate (m)

= = =

25 m/s 0.24 m/kg (from steam tables) 5 000 kg/h 3 600 s/h m x v 1.389 kg/s x 0.24 m/kg 0.333 m/s

1.389 kg/s

- Volumetric flowrate (V) = = = Therefore, using: Cross sectional area (A) = p x D 4 D D = = =

Volumetric flowrate (V) Flow velocity (C) 0.333 25

4pxx0.333 25
0.130 m or 130 mm

An alternative method is to use Figure 6 (page 14) for calculating pipe sizes by velocity. This method will work if you know the following requirements; Steam pressure, temperature (if superheated), flowrate and velocity. The example below will help to explain how this method works. Example Using the above example, it is required to size a pipeline to handle 5 000 kg/h of saturated steam at 7 bar g. The maximum acceptable steam velocity is 25 m/s. Method refer to Figure 6, page 14. Draw a horizontal line from the saturation temperature line at 7 bar g (point A) on the pressure scale to the steam mass flowrate of 5 000 kg/h (point B). Now draw a vertical line to the steam velocity of 25 m/s (point C). From C, draw a horizontal line across the pipe diameter scale (point D). A pipe with a bore of 130 mm will suffice in this case.

10

Pipeline sizing on pressure drop

Sometimes it is essential that the steam pressure feeding an item of plant is not allowed to fall below a specified minimum, in order to maintain temperature, thus ensuring that plant heat transfer factors are maintained under full load conditions. Here, it is appropriate to size the pipe on the 'pressure drop' method, by using the known pressure at the supply end of the pipe and the required pressure at the point of use. There are numerous graphs, tables and even slide rules available for relating pipe size to pressure drop. One method which has proved satisfactory, is the use of utilizing pressure drop factors. An example of this method is shown in the appendix at the end of this guide. An alternative and quicker method to sizing pipelines on the basis of pressure drop, is to use Figure 7 (page 15) if the following variables are known: steam temperature, pressure, flowrate and pressure drop requirements.

Example

It is required to size a pipeline to handle 20 000 kg/h of superheated steam at 15 bar g pressure at 300C, and a pressure drop of 0.3 bar/100 m. Method refer to Figure 7, page 15. Draw a vertical line from 300C (point A) on the temperature scale to 15 bar g (point B) on the pressure scale. From B, draw a horizontal line to the steam flowrate of 20 000 kg/h (Point C). Now draw a vertical line to the top of the graph. Draw a horizontal line from 0.3 bar/100 m on the pressure loss scale (point D). The point at which this line crosses the vertical line from point C (point E), will determine the pipe size required. In this case 200 mm.

11

Pipeline sizing for larger and longer steam mains

These pipelines should be sized using the pressure drop method. Calculations usually consider higher pressures and flowrates and superheated steam. The calculation uses a pressure ratio between the total pressure drop and inlet pressures, which may be utilised in Figure 8 (page 16). It is required to size a pipe to handle 20 tonnes of steam per hour at a pressure of 14 bar gauge and a temperature of 325C. The length of the pipe is 300 metres and the permissible pressure drop over this length is 0.675 bar. Note that the chart is in absolute pressure and for an exercise of this kind, it is sufficiently accurate to approximate that 14 bar gauge equals 15 bar absolute. First find the pressure ratio: Ratio = = = Pressure drop Inlet pressure (absolute) 0.675 15 0.045

Example

Method refer to Figure 8, page 16. From this point on the left hand scale, read horizontally to the right and at the intersection (A) with the curved line, read vertically upwards to meet the length line of 300 metres (B). At this point, extend the horizontal line across the chart to point C. Now read from the base temperature line at 325C and extend vertically upwards to meet the 15 bar abs. pressure line (D). Read horizontally to the right to meet the line of 20 tonnes/h (E) and from this point, extend a line vertically upwards. The pipe size is indicated where this line intersects line B - C at point F. This shows a pipe size of 200 mm. This procedure can also be reversed to find the pressure drop in a known pipe size.

12

Table 2 Saturated steam pipeline capacities at specific velocities (schedule 80 pipe)

Pressure bar 0.4 Velocity kg/h m/s 15mm 20mm 25mm 32mm 40mm 50mm 65mm 80mm 100mm 125mm 150mm 200mm 250mm 300mm 15 25 40 15 25 40 15 25 40 15 25 40 15 25 40 15 25 40 15 25 40 15 25 40 15 25 40 15 25 40 15 25 40 15 25 40 15 25 40 7 10 17 7 12 18 8 12 19 12 19 30 16 26 41 19 30 49 22 36 59 26 43 71 29 49 76 32 54 84 41 66 104 50 85 126 60 102 151 14 25 35 16 25 37 17 26 39 25 43 64 37 56 87 42 63 116 49 81 131 59 97 157 63 114 177 70 122 192 95 145 216 121 195 305 145 234 366 24 40 64 25 45 68 29 48 71 45 70 115 60 100 157 70 115 197 87 135 225 105 162 270 110 190 303 126 205 327 155 257 408 205 331 555 246 397 666 37 62 102 40 72 106 43 72 112 70 112 178 93 152 250 108 180 295 128 211 338 153 253 405 165 288 455 190 320 510 250 405 615 310 520 825 372 624 990 52 92 142 59 100 167 65 100 172 100 162 275 127 225 375 156 270 456 187 308 495 225 370 595 260 450 690 285 465 730 372 562 910 465 740 1210 558 888 1452 99 162 265 109 182 298 112 193 311 182 295 475 245 425 595 281 450 796 352 548 855 425 658 1025 445 785 1210 475 810 1370 626 990 1635 810 1375 2195 972 1650 2634 145 265 403 166 287 428 182 300 465 280 428 745 385 632 1025 432 742 1247 526 885 1350 632 1065 1620 705 1205 1865 800 1260 2065 1012 1530 2545 1270 2080 3425 1524 2496 4110 213 384 576 250 430 630 260 445 640 410 656 1010 535 910 1460 635 1080 1825 770 1265 1890 925 1520 2270 952 1750 2520 1125 1870 3120 1465 2205 3600 1870 3120 4735 394 675 1037 431 716 1108 470 730 1150 715 1215 1895 925 1580 2540 1166 1980 3120 1295 2110 3510 1555 2530 4210 1815 3025 4585 1990 3240 5135 2495 3825 6230 3220 5200 8510 648 972 1670 680 1145 1712 694 1160 1800 1125 1755 2925 1505 2480 4050 1685 2925 4940 2105 3540 5400 2525 4250 6475 917 1457 2303 1006 1575 2417 1020 1660 2500 1580 2520 4175 1606 2590 2806 4101 4318 6909 3678 5936 9500

0.7

1708 27911 3852 2816 4629 6204 4532 7251 10323 1864 2814 4045 3099 4869 6751 4815 7333 10370 2814 4845 6277 4815 7525 10575 7678 11997 16796

1.0

2.0

3.0

2040 3983 6217 8743 3440 6779 10269 14316 5940 10476 16470 22950 2460 4816 7121 10358 4225 7866 12225 17304 7050 12661 19663 27816 2835 5548 8586 11947 5150 8865 14268 20051 7870 13761 23205 32244 3400 6654 10297 14328 6175 10629 17108 24042 9445 16515 27849 38697

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

2765 3990 7390 12015 16096 4815 6900 12288 19377 27080 7560 10880 19141 30978 43470 3025 4540 8042 12625 17728 5220 7120 13140 21600 33210 8395 12470 21247 33669 46858 3995 5860 9994 16172 22713 6295 8995 15966 25860 35890 9880 14390 26621 41011 57560 5215 7390 12921 20538 29016 8500 12560 21720 34139 47218 13050 18630 35548 54883 76534 6258 8868 15505 24646 34819 10200 15072 26064 40967 56662 15660 22356 42658 65860 91841

8.0

10.0

14.0

17.0

2244 3864 3744 6240 5682 10212

13

Fig. 6 Superheated and saturated steam pipeline sizing chart (velocity method)
600 500 400 300 250
ity m /s

e St

am

10

100
20 30 0 5

0 10 50 1

80 70 60 50 40 30 25 20 15 10

Pipe diameter mm

l ve

oc 5

200 175 150 125

Steam pressure bar g

um

/h kg e t ra ow 0 fl 1 am e 20 0 St 3

50 %

Vacu

50 0 10

0 20 0 50 00 B 0 1 00 0 0 2 00 3 00 5 0 000 10 000 0 20 0 00 0 3 00 0 50 0 00 0 10 0 00 20

A
Sa tur e mp n te atio curve

g 0 bar 0.5 1 2 3 5 7 10 20 30 50 75 100

100

300 200 400 Steam temperature C

rat ure

500

The dotted line A, B, C, D refers to the example on page 10

14

Fig. 7 Steam pipeline sizing chart (pressure drop method)

18 10
10 15

5 3 2
Pressure loss bar/100 m

1 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.05

20 25 30 40 50 60 70 80 100 125 150 200 250 300

0.03 0.02 0.01 Steam pressure bar g

20 30 50

50 %

Vacuu

10

g 0 bar 0.5 1 2 3 5 7 10 20 30 50 75 100

A
100 300 200 400 Steam temperature C 500

The dotted line A, B, C, D, E refers to the example on page 11

100 20 3000 500 10 00 20 3 0 00 0 50 0 00 10 000 20 30 000 000 50 000 100 000 Ste 20 am 0 00 flow 0 rate kg/ h

400 500 Insi de p ipe 600 diam ete rm m

Sa tura per tem tion rve cu atu re

15

Figure 8 Pipe sizing chart for larger steam mains

0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2
10 0 50 00 30 00 00 15 00 70 0 40 0 20 0 10 0 50 30 15
Steam velocity m/s

Pi pe

4
le ng th

6 8 10 15 20

m rm ete iam ed 750 Pip

m
150 400 300 200 100 50 500 70

0.1 0.09 0.08 0.07 0.06 0.05 0.04 0.03 0.02

70 00 40 00 20 00 10 00 50 0 30 0 15 0 70 40

30 40 60 80 100 150 200

125

175

450 350

250

600

60

80

10

20

2 3 4 5 6 8 10 15 20 25 30 40 50 60 70 80
am ne/ h

0.004 0.003

Pressure drop bar Inlet pressure bar abs

ma

ss f

low

rate

ton

Ratio DP =

G=

Ste

30 50 100

100 110 120

100

400 200 300 Steam temperature C

500

The dotted line A, B, C, D, E refers to the example on page 12

16

200

1.5

3 5 8 15

40 70 150 300

4 6 10 20

0.01 0.009 0.008 0.007 0.006 0.005

re bar ressu inlet p Steam

abs