Choked mass flow rate of gases

Mass flow rate of a gas through an orifice during choked

conditions
faq798-1196
Posted: 1 Dec 05 (Edited 16 Jul 08)

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The velocity of a gas flowing through an orifice or an equipment leak attains a
maximum or sonic velocity and becomes "choked" when the ratio of the absolute
upstream pressure to the absolute downstream pressure is equal to or greater than
[ ( k + 1 ) / 2 ] k / ( k - 1 ), where k is the specific heat ratio of the gas. For many gases,
k ranges from about 1.09 to 1.41, and therefore [ ( k + 1 ) / 2 ] k / ( k - 1 ) ranges from
about 1.7 to about 1.9 ... which means that choked velocity usually occurs when the
absolute upstream pressure is at least 1.7 to 1.9 times as high as the absolute
downstream pressure.

In SI metric units, when the gas velocity is choked, the equation for the mass flow
rate is:

or this equivalent form:

[It is important to note that although the gas velocity reaches a maximum and
becomes choked, the mass flow rate is not choked. The mass flow rate can still be
increased if the upstream source pressure is increased.]

Q = mass flow rate, kg/s

C = discharge coefficient (dimensionless, about 0.72)
A = orifice hole area, m2
k = gas cp/cv = ratio of specific heats
ρ = real gas density, kg/m3, at upstream P and T
P = absolute upstream pressure, Pa
M = gas molecular weight (dimensionless)
R = Universal Gas Law constant, (Pa)(m3 / (kgmol)(°K)
T = gas temperature, °K
Z = the gas compressibility factor at P and T

When dealing with the choked flow of a gas through a leak hole in a pressurized gas
system or vessel, it is important to realize that the above equations calculate the
initial instantaneous mass flow rate for the pressure and temperature existing in the
system or vessel when the release first occurs. The initial instantaneous flow rate
from a leak in a pressurized gas system or vessel is much higher than the average
flow rate during the overall release period because the pressure and flow rate
decrease with time as the system or vessel empties. Calculating the flow rate versus
time since the initiation of the leak is much more complicated, but more accurate. To
learn how such calculations are performed, go to www.air-
dispersion.com/feature2.html.

When expressed in the customary USA units, the equations above also contain the
gravitational conversion factor gc which is 32.17 ft/s2 in USA units ... and since the
factor gc is 1 (kg-m) / (N-s2) in the SI metric system of units, the above equations do
not include it.

The technical literature can be very confusing because many authors fail to explain
whether they are using the Universal Gas Law constant R which applies to any ideal
gas or whether they are using the gas law constant Rs which only applies to a
specific individual gas. The relationship between the two constants is Rs = R / (MW).

Notes:
(1) The above equations are for a real gas.
(2) For an ideal gas, Z = 1 and d is the ideal gas density.
(3) kgmol = kilogram mole

References:

(1) Handbook of Chemical Hazard Analysis Procedures, Appendix B, Federal

Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Dept. of Transportation, and U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 1989. Handbook of Chemical Hazard Analysis,
Appendix B Click on the PDF icon, wait quite a bit and then scroll down to page 391
of 520 PDF pages.

(2) Risk Management Program Guidance For Offsite Consequence Analysis, U.S. EPA
publication EPA-550-B-99-009, April 1999. Guidance for Offsite Consequence
Analysis (Appendix D: Equation D-1 in Section D.2.3 and Equation D-7 in Section
D.6)

Milton Beychok
(Visit me at www.air-dispersion.com)
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