3/21/13

Share 0

Mold Engineering: How to Calculate The Pressure Drop Through An Orifice

More Next Blog Create Blog Sign In

Mold Engineering
Mold design is very often considered an "art". While there is certainly some truth to that statement, I w ould like to do all that I can to help others apply science to their mold designs, molding, troubleshooting, machining, and planning.

Facebook Badge
DZynSource Mold Engineering Software

S UN DA Y , N OV EMBER 2 2 , 2 0 0 9

How to Calculate The Pressure Drop Through An Orifice

Sometimes we engineers and designers spend too much time and money designing around large water fittings because we think that mold performance will be significantly hampered by the use of small fittings. Its not necessarily true, and I want to show y ou why , and what IS important. Darcy s equation is used to calculate pressure losses in fluid sy stem pipes and drilled passages. Darcy 's equation is: (f * (L/D) * ((v ^2) / 2g)) To calculate pressure loss, two additional factors are introduced as follows:

Promote Your Page Too

Pressure Losses = (f * (L/D) * ((v ^2) / 2g)) * (.433 * Sg ) where, f = a friction factor, L = the length of the pipe or passage, D = the diameter of the pipe, or passage, in inches, v = the fluid v elocity in feet per second g = grav itational acceleration constant (32.2 ft per second / per second) Sg = the specific grav ity of the fluid, water is approx imately 1 , for other fluids consult y our literature or fluid supplier. The .433 * Sg factor conv erts what would be called "head loss", in units of feet, into pounds per square inch. Since L/D is a ratio, the units are unimportant as long as the same units are used for both length and diameter.

DZynSource Software
Dzy n sou r ce for Molds

Followers
Join this site
w ith Google Friend Connect

Members (1)

Already a member? Sign in

Blog Archive
2 0 1 1 (5 ) 2 0 1 0 (1 7 ) 2 0 0 9 (5 ) Nov em ber (3 ) How t o Ca lcu la t e t h e SCFM Requ ir ed T o A ct u a t e a Pn ... How t o Ca lcu la t e T h e Pr essu r e Dr op T h r ou g h A n Or if... How t o Do Ba sic Hy dr a u lic Cy lin der Ca lcu la t ion s Oct ober (2 )

The factor f (friction factor) can be found on charts av ailable from hose and fitting suppliers, and in most Fluid Dy namics tex ts. These charts usually require y ou to be able to define the surface roughness in the passage. The one that is probably the most familiar to engineers is Moody 's diagram. There are two equations that I use to calculate the friction factor, that hav e been found to be appropriate for molds. The first, used for calculations inv olv ing turbulent flow, is called Blasius Law, and is as follows: f = .31 64 / ((Rey nolds Number)^.25) The second, used for Laminar flow, is: f = 64 / (Rey nolds Number) One more calculation is required. Darcy s equation requires the fluid v elocity , in feet per second, as input. Since we rarely know this, we must conv ert the quantity that we usually know, which is usually the flow rate in gallons per minute, into feet per second. The conv ersion from gallons per minute to feet per second is as follows: v = (GPM * 231 in^2 / 60 seconds per minute / Area in inches^2 / 1 2) To calculate the area of our hole diameter (Area in inches input), we use the familiar A = ((D ^ 2) * Pi) / 4 GPM is gallons per minute; and there are 231 cubic inches in a gallon. We div ide by 60 to conv ert from minutes to seconds; the A is area of the hole diameter, and the div ision by 1 2 conv erts inches to feet.

About Me
MR . MD

V iew m y com plet e pr ofile

moldengineering.blogspot.in/2009/11/how-to-calculate-pressure-drop-through.html

1/3

3/21/13

Mold Engineering: How to Calculate The Pressure Drop Through An Orifice

Finally , we hav e the tools required to be able to calculate the pressure drop through our fittings. Well do two sample calculations, one each for a .37 5 and .7 1 8 diameter holes, to compare the difference. For the .37 5 diameter hole, and using 6 gallons per minute of 60degree water, well calculate the Rey nolds Number: Re = (31 60*Q) / [(Diameter in inches)) * (v iscosity in centistokes)] Re = (31 60*6) / (.37 5 * 1 .1 2) = 37 920 / .42 = 45,1 42 Pressure Losses = (f * (L/D) * ((v ^2) / 2g)) * (.433 * Sg ) f = .31 64 / ((Rey nolds Number)^.25) = .021 7 A= .37 5^2 * Pi/4 = .1 1 045 v = (6 * 236 / 60 / .1 1 045 / 1 2 ) = 1 7 .43 Press. Loss = .021 7 * (.37 5 / 1 ) * [(1 7 .43^2) / (2 * 32.2)] * (.433 *1 ) = .1 39 p.s.i. For the .7 1 8 diameter hole, and using 6 gallons per minute of 60degree water, well calculate the Rey nolds Number: Re = (31 60*Q) / [(Diameter in inches)) * (v iscosity in centistokes)] Re = (31 60*6) / (.7 1 8 * 1 .1 2) = 37 920 / .80 = 23,57 7 Pressure Losses = (f * (L/D) * ((v ^2) / 2g)) * (.433 * Sg ) f = .31 64 / ((Rey nolds Number)^.25) = .0255 A= .7 1 8^2 * Pi/4 = .40489 v = (6 * 236 / 60 / .40489 / 1 2) = 4.7 5 Press. Loss = .0255 * (.7 1 8 / 1 ) * [(4.7 5^2) / (2 * 32.2)] * (.433 *1 ) = .0054 p.s.i. Now, on a percentage basis, there is a huge difference, but on an absolute basis, y ou are not likely to notice any difference in mold performance by changing between these two fittings, in this situation. A quick look at the equation shows us that the only non-linear relationship is the v elocity , which gets squared. Therefore, proportional increases in v elocity will hav e a greater effect on pressure drop that any other factor. This is why it is so important to actually engineer y our mold design. Lets see what would happen if y ou used a fitting with a .1 25 diameter hole. For the .1 25 diameter hole, and using 6 gallons per minute of 60degree water, well do the calculations: Re = (31 60*Q) / [(Diameter in inches)) * (v iscosity in centistokes)] Re = (31 60*6) / (.1 25 * 1 .1 2) = 1 8960 / .1 4 = 1 35,428 Pressure Losses = (f * (L/D) * ((v ^2) / 2g)) * (.433 * Sg ) f = .31 64 / ((Rey nolds Number)^.25) = .01 65 A= .1 25^2 * Pi/4 = .01 227 v = (6 * 236 / 60 / .01 227 / 1 2) = 1 56.86 Press. Loss = .01 65 * (.1 25 / 1 ) * [(1 56.86^2) / (2 * 32.2)] * (.433 *1 ) = 21 .829 p.s.i. Keep in mind that 6 gallons per minute will prov ide a Rey nolds Number of 8200 in six .344 diameter water lines, assuming 60degree water with no gly col added, so its not likely that y ou would ev er end up in a situation where y ou would try to push 6 gallons per minute through a .1 25 diameter hole. The water fittings used on a mold are most often dictated by shop standards. If the molding department only has hoses with 353 series fittings, then that is what y ou will usually hav e to design around. If y ou are designing for a molder that has standardized on

moldengineering.blogspot.in/2009/11/how-to-calculate-pressure-drop-through.html

2/3

3/21/13

Mold Engineering: How to Calculate The Pressure Drop Through An Orifice

251 series fittings, this may or may not be causing y ou problems. The point of the article is this: it is not alway s immediately obv ious how much affect y our choice of pipe tap and water-fitting sizes are hav ing on mold performance. If calculations can be done in minutes, or seconds, does it make any sense to skip ov er this critical step? Y ou can make better decisions if y ou hav e more information. As alway s, ov er design can be ex pensiv e, and under design can be disastrous. This is a segment of an article that I originally wrote for Moldmaking Technology Magazine. The link to the original article is here: http://www.moldmakingtechnology .com/articles/090604.html One v ery real problem with small fittings is that they are often used with small inside diameter hoses. Do these calculations for 20 feet of hose with small inside diameter. Y ou may find that y our largest pressure drops are outside the mold. If y ou need to use small fittings, be sure to reduce down at the end of the hose, and use as large a hose diameter as possible. It can be a little time consuming to run through all of these calculations manually , so it is best to either create a spreadsheet, or purchase a program, that will allow y ou to do what if scenarios quickly . Once this is programmed, the calculations can be done in a matter of seconds, or minutes.
Poste d by Mr. MD at 4:23 PM Labe ls: m old cooling , pre ssure drop , wate r pre ssure

No comments: Post a Comment

E n t e ry o u rc o m m e n t . . .

Com m ent as: Google Account Publish Preview

Get New Customers Online

www.Google.com/AdWords Advertise On Google. Get 2000 INR Advertising C redit When You Sign-Up

Best Flats in Mumbai

IndiaHomes.com/Flats_in_Mumbai Buy Flats in Mumbai. No Brokerage. 200% in 24 mths. Talk to experts.

Calculate Pump Head

www.pipeflow.co.uk Easily model your pipe system. Download free trial software now!

Peanut Roaster
www.elitethermal.in We Manufacture Industrial Roaster Burners.For Quotation Visit Now!

Newer Post

Home

Older Post

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

moldengineering.blogspot.in/2009/11/how-to-calculate-pressure-drop-through.html

3/3