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How to Size Pipes for Your Compressed Air System

March 11, 2013 japanfalone Most facilitys compressed air systems have evolved over time. A spur added here a spur added there. Eventually pressure drop issues develop. ommon practice is to

increase the air pressure at the compressor. !hile it may address the symptom it does not address the pro"lem and is very costly. #or every 2 $%& increase in pressure re'uires 1( more ener)y. A properly desi)ned system *ill "e a loop *ith spurs. +his *ill ensure all air

drops *ill share the air e'ually. +he header loop should "e a"le to carry all the air the compressor is capa"le of producin). ,est practices su))est the distri"ution header should "e si-ed to allo* an air velocity not to e.ceed 30 ft/second. +he formula to calculate this is0 A1 122 3 4 3 $a 5 360 . 7$d 8$a9 $ipe :iameter 1 ; 7A32/3.129 !here0

A 1 cross sectional area if the pipe "ore in s'uare inches or < . diameter s'uared / 2 4 1 #lo* rate rate % #M $a 1 $revailin) a"solute pressure. %ea level is 12.= $d 1 compressor )au)e pressure minus prevailin) a"solute pressure 5 1 :esi)n pipe velocity ft/sec E.ample0 %i-e a header for >00 % #M at 100 $%& at an elevation at sea level A 1 122 . >00 . 12.= / 30 . 60 7100 8 12.=9 1 >.13 s'uare inches $ipe diameter then is s'uare root of 7>.13 3 29 / 3.12 1 2.>6? %o an 2.>6? internal diameter pipe *ould "e the proper si-e header. +he same formula can "e used to calculate the si-es of the drops. &n this case you *ould use the demand flo* rate for 4. @oe $anfalone Application En)ineer $hone 7>139 6=1A3322 #a. 7>139 6=1A3363 !e"0 http0//***.e.air.com +*itter0 http0//***.t*itter.com/e.airBjp #ace"ooC0 http0//***.face"ooC.com/e.air

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2 Responses to How to Size Pipes for Your Compressed Air System

1.
Business Industrial Network %ays0
March 12, 2013 at =036 AM

He"lo))ed this on &ndustrial +rainin) and commented0 Also see our Das and Air ompressor +rainin) : at

http0//"inI>.com/+rainin)B%oft*are/)eneralBairBcompressorBtutorial.htm Heply