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Pressure Drop Calculator

Advanced tools for calculating pressure loss in piping systems using Darcy-Weisbach equation. Determine major and minor losses for optimal system design.

Pressure Drop: Q=50 m³/h, D=150mm
ΔP = 12.5 kPa

Pressure Drop Calculation Tools

Advanced tools for calculating pressure loss in piping systems using Darcy-Weisbach equation

Basic Parameters

Input basic pipe and fluid parameters for calculations

m³/h
Typical range: 1 – 500 m³/h
mm
Common sizes: 50, 80, 100, 150, 200 mm
m
Total equivalent length including fittings
kg/m³
Water at 20°C ≈ 998 kg/m³
Pa·s
Water at 20°C = 0.001 Pa·s (1 cP)
mm
Commercial steel = 0.045 mm | PVC = 0.0015 mm

Pipe Fittings

Select pipe fittings to calculate minor losses

Select Pipe Fittings
90° Elbow

K = 0.3

45° Elbow

K = 0.2

Tee (Straight)

K = 0.4

Tee (Branch)

K = 1.0

Gate Valve

K = 0.15

Globe Valve

K = 6.0

Selected Fittings

No fittings selected

Advanced Settings

Configure advanced calculation parameters

°C
kPa

Pressure Drop Results

Major Losses

-

kPa

Minor Losses

-

kPa

Total Pressure Drop

-

kPa

Flow Velocity

-

m/s

Reynolds Number

-

Dimensionless

Friction Factor

-

Darcy friction factor

Equivalent Length

-

m

Pressure Drop Pipe Section
Pressure Drop Visualization

Pressure Drop Calculation Methods

Darcy-Weisbach Equation

The Darcy-Weisbach equation is the fundamental equation for calculating pressure loss due to friction in pipes:

ΔP = f × (L/D) × (ρv²/2)

Where ΔP is pressure drop (Pa), f is Darcy friction factor (dimensionless), L is pipe length (m), D is pipe diameter (m), ρ is fluid density (kg/m³), and v is flow velocity (m/s).

Minor Losses

Minor losses occur due to fittings, valves, and other components in the piping system:

ΔP = K × (ρv²/2)

Where K is the loss coefficient specific to each fitting type. The equivalent length method can also be used, where each fitting is converted to an equivalent length of straight pipe that would cause the same pressure drop.

Additional Fluid Dynamics Resources

Pump Sizing

Calculate pump requirements for flow systems

Flow Meter Selection

Choose appropriate flow measurement devices

Pipe Network Analysis

Analyze complex piping systems

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