Our simple online calculator works out the pressure loss over a single natural gas pipe with a single load applied to the end. It uses the Smooth Pipe Law and the General Flow Equation specified in IGE/TD/4, ‘PE and Steel Gas Services and Service Pipework’, to calculate the results which are valid up to 7 bar(g) pressure.
The calculator assumes an efficiency factor of 0.97 which is suitable for coiled PE pipe, pipe jointed by electrofusion, and butt-fused pipe that has been internally de-beaded, but you can alter this value if you wish. It also assumes internal pipe diameters to be the mean of the maximum and minimum tolerances specified in table 3 of the gas industry standard GIS/PL2-2.
Service pipe calculations: When designing service pipes you should consider adding the equivalent length of individual fittings to the total pipe length to allow for the full pressure loss.
Multiple diameters: For pipes incorporating diameter changes, simply do the calculation for each pipe separately and sum the individual pressure losses. Remember to adjust the input for the upstream pressure of the connected pipe accordingly. With a bit of thought you can assess a small network, however we’d recommend the use of more refined commercially available software to do this to properly account for the effects of load diversity, etc. Breckland Utility Solutions Limited can do this for you by creating network models using the latest available graphical software – GASWorkS 10. Please contact us to discuss your specific needs.
We hope you find the calculator useful and we’d be delighted to receive a quick message with any feedback you may have. Please note that whilst we believe it to be correct, Breckland Utility Solutions Limited cannot guarantee the accuracy of the results it provides.