1 As a general rule, a velocity of 25 to 40 m/s is used when saturated steam is the 

medium.
In longer supply lines, it is often necessary to restrict velocities to 15 m/s to avoid high pressure
2 drops. It is recommended that pipelines over 50 m long are always checked for pressure drop, no
matter what the velocity.
 Pressure drop factor (F) table
No. Pressure bar g Pressure factor (F)
21 0 1.025
1 0.05 0.0301
22 0.05 1.126
2 0.1 0.0115
23 0.1 1.23
3 0.15 0.0253
24 0.15 1.339
4 0.2 0.0442
25 0.2 1.453
5 0.25 0.0681
26 0.25 1.572
6 0.3 0.097
27 0.3 1.694
7 0.35 0.1308
28 0.35 1.822
8 0.4 0.1694
29 0.4 1.953
9 0.45 0.2128
30 0.45 2.09
10 0.5 0.261
31 0.5 2.23
11 0.55 0.314
32 0.55 2.375
12 0.6 0.3716
33 0.6 2.525
13 0.65 0.434
34 0.65 2.679
14 0.7 0.501
35 0.7 2.837
15 0.75 0.5727
36 0.75 2.999
16 0.8 0.6489
37 0.8 3.166
17 0.85 0.7298
38 0.85 3.338
18 0.9 0.8153
39 0.9 3.514
19 0.95 0.9053
40 0.95 3.694
41 1 3.878
20 1.013 1.025
42 1.05 4.067
43 1.1 4.26
44 1.15 4.458
45 1.2 4.66
46 1.25 4.866
47 1.3 5.076
48 1.35 5.291
49 1.4 5.51
50 1.45 5.734
51 1.5 5.961
52 1.55 6.193
53 1.6 6.429
54 1.65 6.67
55 1.7 6.915
56 1.75 7.164
57 1.8 7.417
58 1.85 7.675
59 1.9 7.937
60 1.95 8.203
61 2 8.473
62 2.05 8.748
63 2.1 9.026
64 2.15 9.309
65 2.2 9.597
66 2.25 9.888
67 2.3 10.18
68 2.35 10.48
69 2.4 10.79
70 2.45 11.4
71 2.5 11.41
72 2.55 11.72
73 2.6 12.05
74 2.65 12.37
75 2.7 12.7
76 2.75 13.03
77 2.8 13.37
78 2.85 13.71
79 2.9 14.06
80 2.95 14.41
81 3 14.76
82 3.1 15.48
83 3.2 16.22
84 3.3 16.98
85 3.4 17.75
86 3.5 18.54
87 3.6 19.34
88 3.7 20.16
 89 3.8 21
90 3.9 21.85
91 4 22.72
92 4.1 23.61
93 4.2 24.51
94 4.3 25.43
95 4.4 26.36
96 4.5 27.32
97 4.6 28.28
98 4.7 29.27
99 4.8 30.27
100 4.9 31.29
101 5 32.32
102 5.1 33.37
103 5.2 34.44
104 5.3 35.52
105 5.4 36.62
106 5.5 37.73
107 5.6 38.86
108 5.7 40.01
109 5.8 41.17
110 5.9 42.35
111 6 43.54
112 6.1 44.76
113 6.2 45.98
114 6.3 47.23
115 6.4 48.48
116 6.5 49.76
117 6.6 51.05
118 6.7 52.36
119 6.8 53.68
120 6.9 55.02
121 7 56.38
122 7.1 57.75
123 7.2 59.13
124 7.3 60.54
125 7.4 61.96
126 7.5 63.39
127 7.6 64.84
128 7.7 66.31
129 7.8 67.79
130 7.9 69.29
131 8 70.8
132 8.1 72.33
133 8.2 73.88
134 8.3 75.44
135 8.4 77.02
136 8.5 78.61
137 8.6 80.22
138 8.7 81.84
139 8.8 83.49
140 8.9 85.14
141 9 86.81
142 9.1 88.5
143 9.2 90.2
144 9.3 91.92
145 9.4 93.66
146 9.5 95.41
147 9.6 97.18
148 9.7 98.96
149 9.8 100.75
150 9.9 102.57
151 10 104.4
152 10.2 108.1
153 10.4 111.87
154 10.6 115.7
155 10.8 119.59
156 11 123.54
157 11.2 127.56
158 11.4 131.64
159 11.6 135.78
160 11.8 139.98
161 12 144.25
162 12.2 148.57
163 12.4 152.96
164 12.6 157.41
165 12.8 161.92
166 13 166.5
167 13.2 171.13
168 13.4 175.83
169 13.6 180.58
170 13.8 185.4
171 14 190.29
172 14.2 195.23
173 14.4 200.23
174 14.6 205.3
175 14.8 210.42
176 15 215.61
177 15.2 220.86
178 15.4 226.17
179 15.6 231.5
180 15.8 236.97
181 16 242.46
182 16.2 248.01
183 16.4 253.62
184 16.6 259.3
185 16.8 265.03
186 17 270.83
187 17.2 276.69
188 17.4 282.6
189 17.6 288.58
190 17.8 294.52
191 18 300.72
* If the pipe is less than 50 metres long, add an allowance for fittings of 10% to 20%.
* If the pipe is over 100 metres long and is a fairly straight run with few fittings, an allowance for fittings of 5% to 10% would b
* A similar pipe length, but with more fittings, would increase the allowance towards 20%.
Pressure baPressure factor (F)
 Pipe size (nominal)
15 20 25 32 40 50 65
Pressure Velocity
Actual inside pipe diameter Schedule 40
bar g m/s
15.8 20.93 26.64 35.04 40.9 52.5 62.7
Pipeline capacity kg/h
15 9 15 25 43 58 95 136
0.4 25 14 25 41 71 97 159 227
40 23 40 66 113 154 254 363
15 10 18 29 51 69 114 163
0.7 25 17 30 49 85 115 190 271
40 28 48 78 136 185 304 434
15 12 21 34 59 81 133 189
1 25 20 35 57 99 134 221 315
40 32 56 91 158 215 354 505
15 18 31 50 86 118 194 277
2 25 29 51 83 144 196 323 461
40 47 82 133 230 314 517 737
15 23 40 65 113 154 254 362
3 25 38 67 109 188 256 423 603
40 61 107 174 301 410 676 964
15 28 50 80 139 190 313 446
4 25 47 83 134 232 316 521 743
40 75 132 215 371 506 833 1 189
15 34 59 96 165 225 371 529
5 25 56 98 159 276 375 619 882
40 90 157 255 441 601 990 1 411
15 39 68 111 191 261 430 613
6 25 65 114 184 319 435 716 1 022
40 104 182 295 511 696 1 146 1 635
15 44 77 125 217 296 487 695
7 25 74 129 209 362 493 812 1 158
40 118 206 334 579 788 1 299 1 853
15 49 86 140 242 330 544 775
8 25 82 144 233 404 550 906 1 292
40 131 230 373 646 880 1 450 2 068
15 60 105 170 294 401 660 942
10 25 100 175 283 490 668 1 101 1 570
40 160 280 453 785 1 069 1 761 2 512
15 80 141 228 394 537 886 1 263
14 25 134 235 380 657 896 1 476 2 105
40 214 375 608 1 052 1 433 2 362 3 368
nal)
80 100 125 150
er Schedule 40
77.92 102.26 128.2 154.05
y kg/h
210 362 569 822
350 603 948 1 369
561 965 1 517 2 191
251 433 681 983
419 722 1 135 1 638
671 1 155 1 815 2 621
292 503 791 1 142
487 839 1 319 1 904
779 1342 2 110 3 046
427 735 1 156 1 669
712 1 226 1 927 2 782
1 139 1 961 3 083 4 451
559 962 1 512 2 183
931 1 603 2 520 3 639
1 490 2 565 4 032 5 822
689 1 186 1 864 2 691
1 148 1 976 3 106 4 485
1 836 3 162 4 970 7 176
817 1 408 2 213 3 195
1 362 2 347 3 688 5 325
2 180 3 755 5 901 8 521
947 1 631 2 563 3 700
1 578 2 718 4 271 6 167
2 525 4 348 6 834 9 867
1 073 1 848 2 904 4 194
1 788 3 080 4 841 6 989
2 861 4 928 7 745 11 183
1 198 2 063 3 242 4 681
1 996 3 438 5 403 7 802
3 194 5 501 8 645 12 484
1 455 2 506 3 938 5 686
2 425 4 176 6 563 9 477
3 880 6 682 10 502 15 164
1 951 3 360 5 281 7 625
3 251 5 600 8 801 12 708
5 202 8 960 14 082 20 333
 Pipe size (mm)
Pressure drop factor (PDF) 15 20 25 32 40 50 65
Capacity (kg/h)
0.00016 30.4 55.41
0.0002 16.18 34.32 62.77
0.00025 10.84 17.92 38.19 69.31
0.0003 11.95 19.31 41.83 75.85
0.00035 6.86 12.44 20.59 43.76 80.24
0.00045 3.62 7.94 14.56 23.39 50.75 92.68
0.00055 4.04 8.99 16.18 26.52 57.09 103.8
0.00065 4.46 9.56 17.76 29.14 62.38 113.8
0.00075 4.87 10.57 19.31 31.72 68.04 124.1
0.00085 5.52 11.98 21.88 35.95 77.11 140.7
0.001 1.96 5.84 12.75 23.5 38.25 81.89 148.6
0.00125 2.1 6.26 13.57 24.96 40.72 87.57 159.8
0.0015 2.39 7.35 15.17 28.04 45.97 98.84 179.3
0.00175 2.48 7.51 16.3 29.61 49.34 103.4 188.8
0.002 2.84 8.58 18.63 33.83 56.39 118.2 215.8
0.0025 3.16 9.48 20.75 37.25 61.3 132 240.5
0.003 3.44 10.34 22.5 40.45 66.66 143.4 262
0.004 4.17 12.5 26.97 48.55 80.91 173.1 313.8
0.005 4.71 14.12 30.4 54.92 90.23 196.1 354
0.006 5.25 15.69 35.8 60.31 99.05 215.8 392.3
0.008 6.08 18.34 39.23 70.12 116.2 251.5 456
0.01 6.86 20.64 44.13 79.44 130.4 283.9 514.9
0.0125 7.35 22.2 47.28 81 140.1 302.1 547.3
0.015 8.27 25 53.33 95.62 157.2 342 620.6
0.0175 8.58 26.39 55.78 100.4 165.6 360.4 665.1
0.02 9.8 30.16 63.75 114.7 189.3 411.9 760.1
0.025 10.99 33.48 70.73 127.3 209.8 459.7 834.6
0.03 12 36.78 77.23 137.9 229.9 501.1 919.4
0.04 14.46 44.16 93.17 169.2 279.5 600.7 1 093
0.05 16.43 49.53 104.4 191.2 313.8 676.7 1 231
0.06 18.14 52.96 115.7 210.8 343.2 750.3 1 373
0.08 21.08 62.28 134.8 245.2 402.1 872.8 1 594
0.1 24.03 70.12 152 277 456 980.7 1 804
0.12 25.99 77.48 167.7 306.5 500.2 1 079 1 986
0.15 28.5 84.13 183.9 334.2 551.7 1 195 2 161
0.2 34.32 102 220.7 402.1 622 1 427 2 599
0.25 37.72 112.7 245.2 447.9 735.5 1 565 2 876
0.3 41.37 122.7 266.6 487.3 804.5 1 710 3 126
0.35 43.34 128.7 283.2 514.9 841 1 802 3 261
0.4 49.93 147.1 323.6 588.4 961.1 2 059 3 727
0.45 50.31 150 326.6 600.2 979.9 2 083
0.5 55.9 166.7 362.9 666.9 1 089 2 314
0.6 62.28 185.3 402.1 735.5 1 201
0.7 63.07 188.8 407.6 750.9
0.8 72.08 215.8 465.8 858.1
0.9 73.28 218.4 476.6
ipe size (mm)
80 100 150 200 250 300
apacity (kg/h)
90.72 199.1 598.2 1 275 2 329 3 800
103 225.6 662 1 437 2 623 4 276
113.2 249.9 735.5 1 678 2 904 4 715
124.1 271.2 804.5 1 733 3 172 5 149
130 285.3 845.3 1 823 3 346 5 530
150.9 333.2 979.7 2 118 3 884 6 267
170.8 373.1 1 101 2 382 4 338 7 057
186.7 409.8 1 207 2 595 4 781 7 741
203.2 445.9 1 315 2 836 5 172 8 367
230.2 505.4 1 490 3 215 5 861 9 482
245.2 539.4 1 579 3 383 6 228 10 052
261.8 577.9 1 699 3 634 6 655 10 639
295.1 652.8 1 908 4 091 7 493 11 999
311.1 686.5 2 017 4 291 7 852 13 087
355.5 784.6 2 305 4 904 8 974 14 956
391.3 881.7 2 456 5 422 10 090 16 503
429.8 924.4 2 767 6 068 11 033 18 021
514.9 1 128 3 330 7 208 13 240 21 625
578.6 1 275 3 727 8 189 14 858 24 469
647.3 1 412 4 148 9 072 16 476 26 970
750.3 1 648 4 879 10 543 19 173 31 384
845.9 1 863 5 492 11 867 21 576 35 307
901.9 1 983 5 867 12 697 23 074 37 785
1 020 2 230 6 620 14 251 25 974 42 616
1 073 2 360 6 994 15 017 27 461 44 194
1 226 2 697 7 993 17 163 31 384 50 508
1 367 2 970 8 817 19 332 34 750 56 581
1 480 3 264 9 792 20 917 37 697 62 522
1 790 3 923 11 622 25 254 45 604 75 026
2 020 4 413 13 044 28 441 51 489 85 324
2 231 4 855 14 368 31 384 57 373
2 599 5 688 16 672 36 532
2 942 6 424 18 879
3 236 7 110 20 841
3 494 7 769
4 217 9 317
4 668
5 057