Sizing Steam Pipes (kg/h)

Steam is a compressible gas where the capacity of the pipe line depends on the size
of the pipes and the steam pressure. Use this table for fast calculation of steam
pipes diemensions
We recommend a steam speed of 25 m/s as a general rule for normal conditions.

Capacity
(kg/hour)

Pipe Size (mm)

Steam
Pressure
Speed 15 20 25 32
(bar)
(m/s)
0,4

15

7 14 24 37

25 10 25 40 62

40

50

65

80 100

125

150

250

300

52

99 145 213 394

648

917 1606 2590

368

92 162 265 384 675

200

972 1457 2806 4101 5936

40 17 35 64 102 142 265 403 576 1037 1670 2303 4318 6909 9500
0,7

15

7 16 25 40

59 109 166 250 431

680 1006 1708 2791 3852

25 12 25 45 72 100 182 287 430 716 1145 1575 2816 4629 6204
40 18 37 68 106 167 298 428 630 1108 1715 2417 4532 7251 10323
1

15

8 17 29 43

65 112 182 260 470

694 1020 1864 2814 4045

25 12 26 48 72 100 193 300 445 730 1160 1660 3099 4869 6751
40 19 39 71 112 172 311 465 640 1150 1800 2500 4815 7333 10370
2

15 12 25 45 70 100 182 280 410 715 1125 1580 2814 4545 6277
25 19 43 70 112 162 195 428 656 1215 1755 2520 4815 7425 10575
40 30 64 115 178 275 475 745 1010 1895 2925 4175 7678 11997 16796

15 16 37 60 93 127 245 385 535 925 1505 2040 3983 6217 8743
25 26 56 100 152 225 425 632 910 1580 2480 3440 6779 10269 14316
40 41 87 157 250 357 595 1025 1460 2540 4050 5940 10479 16470 22950

15 19 42 70 108 156 281 432 635 1166 1685 2460 4618 7121 10358
25 30 63 115 180 270 450 742 1080 1980 2925 4225 7866 12225 17304
40 49 116 197 295 456 796 1247 1825 3120 4940 7050 12661 1963 27816

15 22 49 87 128 187 352 526 770 1295 2105 2835 5548 8586 11947
25 36 81 135 211 308 548 885 1265 2110 3540 5150 8865 14268 20051
40 59 131 225 338 495 855 1350 1890 3510 5400 7870 13761 23205 32244

15 26 59 105 153 225 425 632 925 1555 2525 3400 6654 10297 14328
25 43 97 162 253 370 658 1065 1520 2530 4250 6175 10629 17108 24042
40 71 157 270 405 595 1025 1620 2270 4210 6475 9445 16515 27849 38697

15 29 63 110 165 260 445 705 952 1815 2765 3990 7390 12015 16096
25 49 114 190 288 450 785 1205 1750 3025 4815 6900 12288 19377 27080
40 76 177 303 455 690 1210 1865 2520 4585 7560 10880 19141 30978 43470

15 32 70 126 190 285 475 800 1125 1990 3025 4540 8042 12625 17728
25 54 122 205 320 465 810 1260 1870 3240 5220 7120 13140 21600 33210
40 84 192 327 510 730 1370 2065 3120 5135 8395 12470 21247 33669 46858

10

15 41 95 155 250 372 626 1012 1465 2495 3995 5860 9994 16172 22713
25 66 145 257 405 562 990 1530 2205 3825 6295 8995 15966 25860 35890
40 104 216 408 615 910 1635 2545 3600 6230 9880 14390 26621 41011 57560

14

15 50 121 205 310 465 810 1270 1870 3220 5215 7390 12921 20538 29016
25 85 195 331 520 740 1375 2080 3120 5200 8500 12560 21720 34139 47128
40 126 305 555 825 1210 2195 3425 4735 8510 13050 18630 35548 54883 76534

Sizing Condensate Pipes, SI Units

When sizing condensate pipes in steam systems you have to take care of the
maximum condensate flow that in general is under the plant startup
conditions. In this table for sizing the pipes you should estimate that the
condensate load is twice the production load.

Waterflow
(kg/hour)
Pressure loss
(Pa/m)
28

(mbar/m)

0,28

Pipe Size (mm)

15

20

25

32

40

50

65

80

90 209 380

865 1320 2554

5194

8079

29

0,29

92 214 400

878 1340 2590

5271

8196

30

0,3

93 218 403

890 1361 2631

5348

8314

33

0,33

97 226 414

930 1420 2744

5579

8677

39

0,39

107 249 469 1028 1565 3025

6142

9526

40

0,4

108 253 476 1040 1583 3062

6214

9639

43

0,43

113 263 496 1079 1646 3180

6454 10024

45

0,45

116 270 508 1107 1687 3261

6618 10297

47

0,47

119 277 521 1134 1728 3338

6777 10523

50

0,5

123 286 538 1172 1787 3447

6949 10859

53

0,53

127 296 557 1211 1846 3565

7235 11249

55

0,55

130 302 569 1238 1887 3638

7380 11476

57

0,57

133 308 580 1261 1923 3710

7525 11703

59

0,59

135 314 591 1288 1959 3783

7666 11884

61

0,61

138 320 602 1311 1996 3851

7806 12111

64

0,64

141 327 615 1338 2041 3933

7970 12383

67

0,67

146 337 634 1379 2100 4051

8210 12746

69

0,69

148 343 645 1402 2136 4119

8342 12973

71

0,71

150 348 655 1424 2168 4182

8473 13154

73

0,73

152 354 665 1447 2200 4246

8600 13336

76

0,76

155 359 675 1465 2236 4305

8723 13563

77

0,77

157 365 685 1488 2268 4368

8850 13744

78

0,78

158 366 689 1497 2282 4390

8900 13812

80

0,8

160 370 695 1510 2300 4427

8972 13925

82

0,82

162 375 704 1529 2331 4491

9072 14407

88

0,88

168 391 733 1590 2427 4536

9453 14651

90

0,9

170 395 740 1606 2449 4717

9548 14787

98

0,98

179 414 777 1696 2567 4944 10025 15513

100

180 418 785 1701 2590 4990 10115 15649

114

1,14

194 450 845 1832 2790 5366 10841 16828

118

1,18

198 457 857 1860 2830 5443 11022 17055

120

1,2

199 462 867 1880 2860 5502 11113 17282

131

1,31

209 484 907 1969 2994 5761 11657 18053

137

1,37

215 497 931 2018 3071 5906 11948 18507

140

1,4

216 502 939 2037 3103 5965 12066 18688

147

1,47

224 516 966 2096 3189 6128 12383 19187

157

1,57

231 534 1002 2168 3298 6337 12814 19822

160

1,6

234 541 1011 2195 334

163

1,63

237 546 1025 2218 3370 6477 13109 20276

176

1,76

246 570 1066 2309 3511 6740 13608 21092

180

1,8

249 576 1075 2331 3547 6808 13744 21319

196

1,96

261 603 1129 2440 3710 7130 14379 22317

200

265 611 1143 2472 3760 7221 14560 22589

212

2,12

273 629 1179 2549 3874 7430 15014 23270

216

2,16

275 634 1188 2567 3905 7493 15132 23451

220

2,2

278 641 1200 2595 3942 7570 15277 23678

229

2,29

284 655 1225 2649 4028 7729 15604 24177

235

2,35

288 664 1243 2689 4086 7843 15840 24522

240

2,4

292 672 1256 2719 4129 7927 16017 24780

245

2,45

295 679 1270 2749 4173 8010 16193 25039

255

2,55

301 694 1297 2806 4260 8176 16520 25556

260

2,6

304 701 1311 2834 4304 8260 16683 25814

261

2,61

305 703 1315 2844 4318 8287 16738 25900

274

2,74

313 721 1348 2917 4331 8501 17173 26554

277

2,77

315 727 1356 2935 4459 8555 17282 26717

280

2,8

317 730 1363 2948 4479 8593 17357 26839

294

2,94

325 749 1402 3025 4595 8813 17781 27533

300

328 757 1414 3055 4641 8900 17956 27803

310

3,1

335 771 1438 3112 4726 9063 18280 28305

314

3,14

336 775 1446 3129 4752 9074 18380 28459

320

3,2

340 784 1462 3163 4825 9204 18579 28767

327

3,27

344 792 1479 3198 4853 9299 18779 29076

333

3,33

348 801 1495 3230 4904 9408 18979 29366

340

3,4

351 809 1511 3263 4955 9516 19178 29656

342

3,42

353 813 1520 3279 4980 9571 19278 29801

353

3,53

358 825 1541 3328 5054 9707 19550 30237

359

3,59

362 834 1556 3361 5103 9798 19732 30527

360

3,6

363 835 1558 3365 5109 9809 19754 30564

372

3,72

369 850 1585 3423 5201 9979 20094 31108

376

3,76

371 854 1592 3438 5225 10024 20185 31253

380

3,8

373 859 1601 3457 5254 10081 20299 31423

392

3,92

379 873 1628 3515 5339 10251 20639 31933

400

383 883 1646 3554 5398 10342 20866 32274

408

4,08

388 892 1665 3592 5457 10433 21092 32614

6409 12973 20049

412

4,12

390 896 1672 3608 5479 10478 21174 32750

420

4,2

394 906 1690 3646 5536 10592 21378 33090

425

4,25

396 912 1701 3670 5570 10660 21500 33294

Recommended Steam Speeds

The speed velocity in pipes should be within these limits.

Steam

m/s

ft/s

Saturated Steam, high pressure

25 - 40 82 - 131

Saturated Steam, medium and low pressure

30-40

99 - 131

Saturated Steam. at peak load

< 50

< 164

Steam /and water emulsion

< 25

< 82

Flow Coefficient Cv and Flow Factor Kv

The difference between the flow coefficient Cv and Kv.

For control valves it is often convenient to express the capacities and flow characteristics in terms of a

flow coefficent Cv

defined as

the flow of water at 60 oF in US gallon/minute at a pressure drop of 1 lb/in2

across the valve.

The metric equivalent called the

flow factor Kv

defined as

the number of cubic meters per hour of water at 20 oC which will flow through the valve with a pressure
drop of 1 kg/cm2 (1 bar).

The connection between Cv and Kv can be expressed as:

Cv = 1.16 Kv

Kv = 0.853 Cv

Pipe Sizing in Steam Systems

Sizing the piping in steam systems.

The available pressure drop is the difference between the initial pressure at the boiler and the required
final pressure at the end of the line.
p = pj - pk
where
p = available pressure drop N/m2
pj = initial or boiler pressure N/m2
pk = final pressure N/m2

pt = p1 + p2
where
pt = total pressure drop in the system N/m2
p1 = pressure loss in pipes due to friction N/m2
p2 = pressure loss in fittings N/m2
For low pressure steam
p1 = pal
where
pa = pipe friction resistance per lenght N/m2
l = length of pipe m
p2 = Fv2r/2
Alternatively
p2 = pale
and
pt = pa(l + le)
where

F = coefficient of recistance
v = velocity of steam m/s
r = density of steam kg/s3
le = equivalent length of fitting m
Total pressuredrop is generally about 5 -10 % of initial pressure per 100 m pipe.
Typical steam velocities
Exhaust steam
20 - 30 m/s (70 - 100 ft/s)
Saturated steam
30 - 40 m/s (100 - 130 ft/s)
Superheated steam
40 - 60 m/s (130 -200 ft/s)