Recommended Mean Velocities in Pipe From Various Sources Fluid Dry Gas Wet Gas High Pressure Steam

(150 psig+) Low Pressure Steam (< 50 psig) Air Vapor Lines, General Light Volatile Liquid near Bubble Point, Pump Suction Pump Discharge, Tower Reflux Hot Oil Headers Vacuum Vapor Lines below 50 MM Abs Pressure Source: Branan, "Rules of Thumb for Chemicl Engineers", 2nd ed., Page 5

Velocity 100 fps 80 fps 150 fps 100 fps 100 fps Max velocity 0.3 mach or 0.5 psi/100 ft 0.5 ft head total suction line 3 to 5 psi/100 ft 1.5 psi/100 ft Allow max of 5% absolute pressure for friction lo

Typical Design Velocities for Process System Applications Service Average liquid process Pump suction, supercooled fluid Pump suction, boiling fluid Boiler feed water Gravity liquid drain lines Liquid to reboiler (no pump) Vapor-liquid mixture out of reboiler Vapor to condenser Gravity separator flows

Velocity, ft/sec 4 - 6.5 1-5 0.5 - 3 4-8 1.5 - 4 2-7 15 - 30 15 - 80 0.5 - 1.5

Liquid Fluid Ammonia, liquid Benzene Bromine, liquid Calcium chloride Carbon tetrachloride Chlorine, dry liquid Chloroform, liquid Ethylene dibromide Ethylene dichloride Ethylene glycol Hydrochloric acid, liquid Methyl chloride, liquid Oils, lubricating Perchlorethylene Propylene glycol Sodium chloride solution Sodium chloride sol'n w/solids Sodium hydroxide, 0-30% Sodium hydroxide, 30-50%

Pipe Material Steel Steel Glass Steel Steel Steel, Schedule 80 Copper, steel Glass Steel Steel Rubber-lined Steel Steel Steel Steel Steel Monel, Ni Steel, Ni Steel, Ni

Velocity, ft/sec 6 6 4 4 6 5 6 4 6 6 5 6 6 6 5 5 6 min; 15 max 6 5

Sodium hydroxide, 50-73% Styrene Sulfuric acid, 88-93% Sulfuric acid, 93-100% Trichlorethylene Vinyl chloride Vinylidene chloride Water, average service Water, pump suction Water, usual maximum economical Water, sea and brackish Water, sea and brackish

Steel, Ni Steel 316 SS, lead Cast iron; Steel, Sched 80 Steel Steel Steel Steel Steel Steel Rubber-lined, Saran Concrete-lined

4 6 4 4 6 6 6 3 to 8; 6 avg 3 to 8 ; 6 avg 7 to 10 5 to 8 5 to 12

Gaseous or Vapor Fluid Acetylene Air, 0 to 30 psig Ammonia Bromine Chlorine, dry Chloroform Ethylene Hydrochloric acid Hydrogen Methyl chloride Natural gas Oxygen (ambient temp.) Oxygen (low temp.) Steam, 0-30 psi, sat. Steam, 15 psi up, superheated Steam, 30-150 psi, sat or superheated Sulfur dioxide

Pipe Material Steel Steel Steel Glass Steel, Schedule 80 Copper, steel Steel Rubber-lined, Saran Steel Steel Steel Steel 304 SS Steel Steel Steel Steel

Velocity, ft/sec 30 (max) 65 100 35 30 to 80 35 100 65 65 65 100 75 (Max) 65 0.1 to 100 0.1 to 250 0.1 to 165 65

Velocity

3 mach or 0.5 psi/100 ft

% absolute pressure for friction loss