Calculating Pressure Drop in Chilled Water Circuits [ Up ] [ Theory ] [ Water ] [ Moody Diagram ] Technical Article No 1 Author: ruce Wernic!

Pr"ng# $c"ng# %ast Updated: &' (e)ruary &**+ ,- you ha.e e.er had to design a condenser or chilled /ater pipe system then you /ill ha.e had to calculate the total circuit pressure drop in order to select the pump head# , ha.e done a num)er o- these calculations )y hand and e.ery time0 , ha.e had to search -or my -itting pressure drop ta)les and manually calculate the pressure drop in each o- the -ittings# There is no/ a computer pac!age a.aila)le that /ill ta!e all o- the drudgery out o- this process# The program has the ad.antage that it can o--er you the -ollo/ing additional use-ul in-ormation# Circuit pressure drop ,nstalled price 1Materials and la)our2 Automatic pump selection Total circuit .olume -or chemical dosing ,nde3 run selection -rom multiple circuits $ummary report Detailed report "rror detection and Auto4correction Automatic pipe si5ing and pea! -lo/ determination (luid property speci-ication (itting coe--icients editor Pipe type selection %ater , /ill discuss each o- the a)o.e points0 )ut no/0 /e /ill go through the )asic design process# The circuit sho/n in (igure 1 is a typical chilled /ater circuit that you could )e -aced /ith# This installation has a single scre/ chiller /ith a duty and stand)y pump set# There are three air handlers in parallel o-- the main chilled /ater supply0 each /ith a )alancing .al.e and a '4/ay mi3ing .al.e#

(igure 1# Chilled /ater pipe circuit The initial pro)lem o- selecting a pump is to calculate the pressure drop in the inde3 circuit# This is the pressure drop o- the circuit /ith the highest pressure drop since this controls /hat the pump /or!s against# $electing pipe si5e There is no theoretical limit to /ater -lo/ rate in a pipe# ,- you ha.e 5ero -lo/0 there /ill )e 5ero pressure drop# As you increase the -lo/0 the pressure drop /ill increase as the s6uare o- the /ater .elocity# According to the Darcy Weis)ach e6uation0 the pressure can )e e3pressed as a -unction o- -riction -actor and -luid .elocity#

Where dp r Pressure drop0 Pa (luid density0 !g7m' Darcy -riction -actor0 dimensionless % 8 D Pipe length0 m A.erage -luid .elocity0 m7s Pipe inside diameter0 m

The -riction -actor is the un!no/n in the a)o.e e6uation# This term is a )it more complicated )ut can )e easily read o-- the Moody diagram#

(igure &# Moody Diagram 9i.en a :eynolds num)er and pipe roughness0 you can determine the operating point on the Moody diagram and there-ore the -riction -actor# ;n the Moody diagram0 you /ill see that depending on the :eynolds num)er and sur-ace roughness there are an num)er o-lo/ 5ones# No single e6uation can there-ore )e used to calculate the -riction -actor# ,n the transition 5one )et/een hydraulically smooth and -ully tur)ulent0 the -riction -actor is gi.en )y the Cole)roo! e6uation#

Where :e e D . r u :eynolds num)er0 dimensionless < DArcy -riction -actor0 dimensionless Pipe roughness0 m Pipe inside diameter0 m 8elocity0 m7s Density0 !g7m' Dynamic .iscosity0 !g7m#s

While the a)o.e e6uations are technically correct0 airconditioning engineers ha.e traditionally made use o- simpli-ied charts as sho/n in (igure '# This gi.es the pressure drop rate o- a nominal schedule =* steel pipe diameter )ased on &*C /ater -or a gi.en -lo/ rate# ,n practical airconditioning systems0 pipe si5e selection and ma3imum -lo/rate is go.erned )y noise and pipe a)rasion# Typical limits are as -ollo/s# Pressure drop rate must not e3ceed 1*** Pa7m Water .elocity must not e3ceed ' m7s

(igure '# Pressure drop -or /ater in schedule =* steel pipe 1/ater at &* >C2 Calculating -itting pressure drop A con.enient approach in calculating -itting pressure drop is to e3press each -itting in terms o- its e6ui.alent length o- straight pipe o- the same diameter# This /ould allo/ you to use (igure ' to determine the pressure drop# There are many re-erences that gi.e e6ui.alent lengths o- -ittings and .al.es# The ones used here are pu)lished )y the Crane Company in technical report =1*# Calculating circuit pressure drop )y computer We are o-ten -orced )y time constraints to -ind shortcuts )ut don?t /ant to sacri-ice accuracy# A-ter doing a num)er o- these calculations )y hand and on spreadsheet0 , came to the conclusion that there could )e many )ene-its to a program that /ould automate the process#

The Pipe(lo/ program has )een de.eloped to allo/ the airconditioning designer to do a 6uic! and accurate pump selection /ith .ery little e--ort# The /ater circuit sho/n in (igure 1 can )e entered into the program and sol.ed in less than &* minutes# The clear ad.antage here is that you no/ ha.e an accurately calculated pressure drop that can easily )e modi-ied as the design re6uirements change# The )asis o- the program is to )uild up a ta)le o- pipes and -ittings -rom the inde3 circuit0 as sho/n in (igure =# This is the circuit /ith the largest pressure drop and is the one that controls the pump selection#

(igure =# Pipe(lo/ Main "ntry (orm A data)ase o- all the commonly used -ittings and .al.es has )een de.eloped /ith loss coe--icients as pu)lished in Technical Paper =1* -rom Crane Co# These ha.e )een supplemented /here necessary /ith data -rom The Chemical "ngineers @and)oo! and are used to calculate the pressure drops sho/n in (igure =# uilding the pipe circuit is simply a matter o- selecting a pipe or -itting -rom a list o- pre4 de-ined -ittings# To cater -or the !no/n pressure drops0 such as a chiller0 the program has a user4de-ined type that allo/s you to speci-y the pressure directly# "ntering a ne/ circuit When the program starts up0 you /ill see a spreadsheet /ith one empty line# At this point0 you could go to the main menu and open an e3isting -ile or enter a ne/ pipe circuit -rom scratch# To enter a ne/ item0 press the insert !ey# When you do this0 an entry -orm as seen in (igure A appears that /ill let you speci-y /hat you /ant to insert#

(igure A# Pipe(lo/ "ntry (orm Typically0 i- you are entering a ne/ system0 you /ill ha.e a schematic and !no/ the design /ater -lo/ in each )ranch# A con.enient starting point is the pump# "nter the pump -lo/ rate and press the AUT;$,B" )utton# The program /ill no/ calculate the main pipe si5e# No/0 add all the pipes and -ittings o- this diameter to the circuit ta)le# "ach o- these types has -urther options# (or e3ample i- you /ant to add = o-- C*D el)o/s0 go to the standard -ittings page0 enter the 6uantity and select the el)o/ -rom the -itting list# To complete the circuit0 do the same -or the pipe section a-ter the -irst ta!e o-- and continue until the /hole circuit has )een added# DonEt /orry a)out ma!ing mista!es )ecause any )ranch can )e edited or deleted in the main ta)le# DonEt -orget to sa.e your /or!# The program has a 6uic! sa.e )utton0 so to a.oid loss odata0 use it regularly# At any time0 you can load sa.ed circuits into the ta)le# "ntering multiple circuits ,n airconditioning piping systems0 you /ill o-ten ha.e to -ind the pressure drop in parallel /ater circuits# This program calculates the pressure drop in the inde3 run only# To assist in determining the inde3 run0 items in each parallel path can )e grouped# The program o--ers a grouping option /here you can assign a uni6ue num)er to each ne/ group# No/ you can speci-y /hether the group -alls in the inde3 run )y assigning the num)er F1E to the group .alue# e a/are that i- the 9roup option is not acti.ated0 all )ranches are assumed to )e included in the inde3 run# $ol.ing and .ie/ing results 8ie/ing the results is no/ simply a matter o- paging through the ta)le sho/n in (igure =# There are many -eatures that ma!e analysis o- the results easier# The -irst o- these is that any o- the ta)le columns can )e sorted in ascending or descending order )y clic!ing on

the column heading# The o).ious choice here /ould )e to sort on pressure drop and chec! the highs and lo/s -or input errors# $ome o- the other -eatures are descri)ed in the ne3t section GDealing /ith errorsH#

(igure +# Typical Pipe(lo/ :eport ;nce you are satis-ied /ith the results0 you can o)tain a hard copy )y printing a report as sho/n in (igure +# Press the P:"8,"W )utton and an image o- the printed page /ill appear# Iou can no/ set margins and print -ont etc and send to the printer -or a hard copy# Dealing /ith errors The only real pro)lems /hen designing a pipe net/or! is under si5ing or o.er si5ing the pipe diameter# Under si5ing /ill lead to e3cessi.e pressure drops0 noise and a )adly )alanced circuit# ;.er si5ing /ill lead to o.er pricing and also to a )adly )alanced circuit# ,n this program0 you can de-ine the design limits# ,- any item -alls outside the design limits0 the pressure drop /ill )e highlighted# Iou can then select each pro)lem )ranch and edit it manually# A special -eature has )een added here /here all the errors can )e dealt /ith together# $elect the 8,"W WA:N,N9$ menu option and a list o- all /arnings /ill appear /ith more details o- the nature o- the pro)lem# ;).iously0 the program cannot ma!e engineering decisions )ut some pro)lems can )e -i3ed automatically# ,- you select a pro)lem )ranch0 and press the AUT;(%;W )utton0 the -lo/rate /ill )e re.ised to the ma3imum design -lo/ -or the e3isting diameter# ,- you press the AUT;$,B" )utton0 the pipe si5e /ill )e changed such that the pressure drop rate /ill )e less than or e6ual to the ma3imum rate# Calculating a price estimate This is a -eature that has )een added to allo/ you to generate a 6uic! price estimate# "ach item is priced on the )asis o- a cost and la)our ta)le using the -ollo/ing e6uation# Price < Juantity K 1 ,temCost L %a)ourCost K ,nstallTime2 The accuracy o- this )udget depends entirely on the pricelist .alues that you enter# To impro.e your Mo) costing0 include all associated material costs# (or e3ample0 /ith a .al.e0 include the cost o- gas!ets0 mating -langes and )olts#

(or pricing purposes0 the complete net/or! must )e entered as sho/n in "ntering multiple circuits a)o.e# ;ther program -eatures The Pipe(lo/ program ma!es use o- many o- the ne/ programming techni6ues and /ill run on any computer that runs Windo/s C#30 &*** and Windo/s NT# The -ollo/ing are some o- the additional program -eatures pro.ided# Pipe -riction calculator# This is a handy tool that gi.es you complete -reedom to calculate pressure drop rate and detailed /ater properties gi.en any pipe si5e and -lo/#

(igure N# Pipe (riction (actor Calculator Conte3t sensiti.e help# The program is supplied /ith a detailed conte3t sensiti.e help -ile# Techni$ol.e Direct# ;n4line support is o--ered to all registered users# ProMect summary# This is a 6uic! .ie/ sho/ing a )rea!do/n o- the all the di--erent types# (or e3ample0 you can see the pressure drop contri)ution o- all the el)o/s in a proMect#

(igure O# ProMect $ummary (orm (ittings editor# As you )ecome more -amiliar /ith the results0 you may /ant to adMust the -itting -lo/ coe--icients# The de-ault .alues supplied /ith the program are pu)lished -igures e3tracted -rom the Crane Co# Technical report =1*# Price data)ase editor# ,t is necessary -or you to !eep your cost data)ase current -or the price to )e .alid# Conclusion The Pipe(lo/ program is a comprehensi.e circuit pressure drop calculator# ,ts ease ouse0 accurate calculation and error chec!ing -eatures ma!e it an in.alua)le tool -or the airconditioning designer# :e-erences Crane Company0 Technical report =1* Perry Chemical "ngineers @and)oo!0 "d : Perry P D 9reen