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SmallBoreOrificeforGasFlowCalculation

SmallBoreOrificeFlowMeterCalculation Forpipediameter<5cm.Computeflowrate,bore
diameter,ordifferentialpressure.Equations:ASME
forGasFlow
MFC14M2001
SmallboreorificeforgasflowcalculationismobiledevicefriendlyasofOctober23,2014

Registertoenable"Calculate"button.
MassFlow,M(kg/s): Willbecomputed
ActualVolFlow,Qa(m3/s): Willbecomputed

Notregistereduser
ClicktoCalculate

Solvefor:
FlowRate

SelectMeterTypeandGas:
Air(enterP1,T)
CornerPressureTaps

SelectUnitsforeachVariable:
MassFlowinkg/s
QaandQsinm3/s
P1inN/m2orPa
DiffPandPLossinN/m2orPa
Diametersinmeters
TemperatureinKelvin,K
Densityinkg/m3
ViscosityinNs/m2,kg/ms
Velocityinm/sAreainm2

2014LMNOEngineering,
Research,andSoftware,Ltd.
http://www.LMNOeng.com

StdVolFlow,Qs(stdm3/s): Willbecomputed
UpstreamAbsPressure,P1(Pa): 800000.0
DifferentialPressure,p(Pa): 10000.0
PressureRatio,P2/P1: Willbecomputed
ThroatDiameter,d(m): 0.01
PipeDiameter,D(m): 0.02
Ratio,d/D: Willbecomputed
GasTemperature,T(K): 280.0
Density(kg/m3): 9.95867151322013733
DynamicViscosity(Ns/m2): 1.77107588682272854E5
IsentropicExponent,K: 1.4
GasExpansibility,e: Willbecomputed
DischargeCoefficient,C: Willbecomputed
ReynoldsNo.basedond,Red: Willbecomputed
ReynoldsNo.basedonD,ReD: Willbecomputed
PressureLoss,w(Pa): Willbecomputed
MinorLossCoefficient,Km: Willbecomputed
ThroatVelocity,Vthroat(m/s): Willbecomputed
PipeVelocity,Vpipe(m/s): Willbecomputed
ThroatArea,Athroat(m2): Willbecomputed
PipeArea,Apipe

(m2): Willbecomputed

Unitsinsmallboreorificeforgasflowcalculation:C=degreesCelsius,cm=centimeter,cP=centipoise,cSt=centistoke,F=degrees
Fahrenheit,cfm=cubicfeetperminute,cfs=cubicfeetpersecond,ft=foot,g=gram,hr=hour,in=inch,K=degreesKelvin,kg=kilogram,
lb=pound,m=meters,mbar=millibar,min=minute,mm=millimeter,N=Newton,Pa=Pascal,psi=poundpersquareinch,R=degreesRankine,
s=second,scfm=standardcfm,std=standard.
TypesofPressureTapsforSmallBoreOrifices

To:
LMNO
Engineering
homepage
(more
calculations)

Otherflow
meter
calculations
usingstandard
methodologies:
Orificefor
Gases
(D>5cm)
Orificefor
liquids
(D<5cm)
Orificefor
liquids
(D>5cm)
Nozzlefor
liquids
Venturifor
liquids
Simplerorifice
calculation
(notas
accuratebut
won'tgive
"parameterout
ofrange"
messages):
Bernoullipage
Unit
Conversions
Trouble
printing?
Register

Topics:EquationsDischargeCoefficientValidityVariablesErrorMessagesReferences
IntroductiontoSmallBoreOrificeforGasFlowCalculation
OrificeflowmetersareusedtodeterminealiquidorgasflowratebymeasuringthedifferentialpressureP1P2acrosstheorificeplate.
Orificeflowmetersaregenerallylessexpensivetoinstallandmanufacturethantheothercommonlyuseddifferentialpressureflowmeters
however,nozzleandventuriflowmetershavetheadvantageoflowerpressuredrops.
Theorificecalculationonthispageisforflowofgases.Pleaseseethelinksatthetopofthispageforliquidflowthroughorificemeters.
Gasflowcalculationsincludeanexpansibilityfactore,whichisnotpresentintheliquidcalculation.Theexpansibilityfactoraccountsfor
theeffectofpressurechangeongasdensityasgasflowsthroughtheorifice.Ourcalculationisvalidforsubsonicgasflow.
Anorificeflowmeteristypicallyinstalledbetweenflangesconnectingtwopipesections(flangesarenotshownintheabovedrawings).
Thetwostandardpressuretappingarrangementsareshowninthedrawingsthelocationofthepressuretapsaffectsthedischarge
coefficientsomewhat.Flangepressuretapspenetratetheflangeandareatastandarddistanceof1inch(2.54cm)fromeithersideofthe
orifice.Forcornertaps,thepressuretaplocationsareasshown.Forexactgeometryandspecificationsfororifices,seeASME(2001).
EquationsforSmallBoreOrificeforGasFlowTopofPage
ThecalculationsonthispagearefororificescarryingagasasdescribedinASME(2001).

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DischargeCoefficientsforSmallBoreOrificeforGasFlow(ASME,2001)Totopofpage
CornerTaps:

FlangeTaps:

whereDisininchesandd/D,ReD,andCaredimensionless.
ValidityofSmallBoreOrificeCalculationforGasFlow(ASME,2001)TopofPage
PipeDiameterD
LMNOEngineeringorificecalculationrequires0.635cmD5.08cmforbothcornerandflangetaps.
ASME(2001)suggests1.2cmD4cmforcornertapsand2.5D4cmforflangetaps.
Diameterratiod/D
LMNOEngineeringandASME(2001)require0.1d/D0.8forcornertapsand0.15d/D0.7forflangetaps.
ReynoldsnumberbasedonpipediameterReD
LMNOEngineeringandASME(2001)requireReD1000.
Expansibilitye
TheorificeequationshownaboveforexpansibilityeisvalidforP2/P10.8.OurorificecalculationgivesawarningmessageifP2/P1<
0.8,butstillcomputesanswers.
BuiltinPropertiesforCertainGases
Toprovideeaseofuse,ourorificecalculationhaspropertiesofsomegasesbuiltintothecalculation.TheusercanselectAir,Carbon
dioxide,Hydrogen,Methane(naturalgas),Nitrogen,orOxygen.Thedensityisautomaticallycomputedusingtheidealgaslawbasedonthe
upstreampressureandtemperatureentered.ThedynamicviscosityisafunctionoftemperatureandusesthemethodologyshownonourGas
Viscositypage.Theisentropicexponent,K,isbasedonthespecificheatratio.Formethane,thedynamicviscosityvalueshowninthe
orificecalculationisvalidfor0oFT1000oF.IfT<0oF,thentheviscosityvalueshownandusedintheorificecomputationisthe
viscosityat0oF.IfT>1000oF,thentheviscosityvalueshownandusedintheorificecomputationistheviscosityat1000oF(0oFis17.8
oCand1000oFis537.8oC).Forallothergasesshowninthedropdownmenu,thereisnotemperaturelimitationonthevalidityofthe
viscosity.Dynamicviscosityisessentiallyindependentofpressure.
Ifyouknowthatyourdensity,viscosity,orisentropicexponentissignificantlydifferentthanthevalueshownintheorificecalculation,then
youcanselect"UserentersP1,density,viscosity,K"andenterthesevaluesmanually.Also,ifthegasisnotlistedinourdropdownmenu,
thenyoucanselect"UserentersP1,density,viscosity,K"andenterthesevaluesmanually.Kmustbe>1.Additionally,valuesforKcanbe
foundinWeast(1985,p.F11),PerryandGreen(1984,p.3144),andothersources.
PressureLoss
wisthestaticpressurelossoccurringfromadistanceofapproximatelyDupstreamoftheorificetoadistanceofapproximately6D
downstreamoftheorifice.Itisnotthesameasdifferentialpressure.Differentialpressureismeasuredattheexactlocationsspecifiedin
ASME(2001)(shownintheabovefigures).
MinorLossCoefficient
Kmiscomputedtoallowyoutodesignpipesystemswithorificesandincorporatetheirheadloss.Headlossiscomputedash=KmV2pipe/2g.
StandardVolumetricFlowRate
Standardvolumetricflowrate,Qs,isthevolumetricflowratecomputedatstandardpressureandtemperature,PstdandTstd(shownabovein
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variables).Actualflowrate,Qa,iscomputedatthegas'sactualpressureandtemperature.Qsisusefultouserswhoneedtocompute(or
input)standardflowrateoftenpumpcurvesandflowmeasurementdevicesprovidestandard,ratherthanactual,flowrate.Theadvantage
ofusingstandardflowinsteadofactualflowisthatthesamedevice(orpumpcurve)canbeusedforagasatvarioustemperaturesand
pressureswithoutrecalibratingforaninfiniterangeofactualpressuresandtemperatures.Theusercaneasilyconvertstandardtoactual
flowrateiftheactualtemperatureandpressureofthegasareknownourorificecalculationdoesthisautomatically.
VariablesinSmallBoreOrificeforGasEquations:TopofPage
Dimensions:F=Force,L=Length,M=Mass,T=Time,t=temperature
Borediameterandthroatdiameterbothrefertod.

ErrorMessagesgivenbyOrificeCalculationTopofPage
"P2/P1<0.8.Outofrange".TheequationforexpansibilityeisonlyvalidforP2/P10.8.Thisisajustawarningmessageallvariablesare
computed.
Forthefollowingerrormessages,onlysomevariablesarecomputed.Forexampleiforificethroatdiameterdistobecomputed,then
pressureratio,expansibility,pipearea,pipevelocity,ReD,andsomeothervariableswillbecomputedandshown.However,ifReDisoutof
rangeforCtobevalid,thenCandd(andanythingdependingondsuchasthroatareaandthroatvelocity)willnotbecomputed.Ifan
errormessageisshownandyouthinkyourinputiscorrect,besuretocheckthatyouhaveselectedthecorrectunitsforyourentries.
"Infeasibleinput".Whilenoneoftheinputsaloneareoutofrange,theycollectivelyresultinaphysicallyinfeasiblesituationoracomputed
parameterwillbeoutofrange(e.g.ReDwillbe<1000ord/Dwillbeoutofrange)orthethroatvelocitywillexceedthespeedofsound(the
orificecalculationisonlyvalidforsubsonicvelocities).
"P1andT(abs)mustbe>0","NeedP1andT(abs)>0".Absolutepressureorabsolutetemperaturewasenteredaszeroornegative.If
temperaturewasenteredinCorF,itwasinternallyconvertedtoabsolutetemperature.
"Need0.64<D<5cm".Pipediametermustbebetween0.635and5.08cm.
"Need1e20<Density<1e9kg/m3".Gasdensitymustbeenteredbetween1020and109kg/m3.
"Need1e19<Viscosity<1e9m2/s".Kinematicviscositymustbeinthisrange.Notethatkinematicviscosityisdynamicviscositydividedby
density.
"Need0.1<d/D<0.8".Fororificecornertaps,diameterratiomustbeinthisrange.
"Need0.15<d/D<0.7".Fororificeflangetaps,diameterratiomustbeinthisrange.
"NeedK>1".Isentropicexponentwasenteredas1.
"MorQ,anddmustbe>0".Massflowrate,volumetricflowrates,and/ororificediameterwereenteredaszeroornegative.
"Needp>0".Orificedifferentialpressuremustbepositive.
"Needp<P1".OrificedifferentialpressurecannotexceedP1thiswouldcauseP2(absolute)tobe<0whichisimpossible.
"MorQ,andpmustbe>0".Massflowrate,volumetricflowrates,and/ordifferentialpressurewereenteredaszeroornegative
"NeedReD>1000".ReDmustbeatleast1000.

TrythesimplerorificecalculationonourBernoullipageifyourparameters(forinstanced/D,D,orReD)areoutofrange.Itisnotas
accurate,butwon'tgive"parameteroutofrange"errormessages.
ReferencesforSmallBoreOrificeforGasFlowCalculationTopofPage
AmericanSocietyofMechanicalEngineers(ASME).2001.Measurementoffluidflowusingsmallboreprecisionorificemeters.ASME
MFC14M2001.
Perry,R.H.andD.W.Green(editors).1984.Perry'sChemicalEngineers'Handbook.McGrawHillBookCo.6thed.
Weast,R.C.(editor).1985.CRCHandbookofChemistryandPhysics.ChemicalRubberCompany.65thed.

20022014LMNOEngineering,Research,andSoftware,Ltd.Allrightsreserved.
Pleasecontactusforconsultingorotherquestions.
LMNOEngineering,Research,andSoftware,Ltd.
7860AngelRidgeRd.Athens,Ohio45701USAPhoneandfax:(740)5921890
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