KEVOS® MAKEOS · Hydraulics
Nozzle Manifold Check (Flow per Nozzle, Total Flow, Feed Pipe Loss, Supply Pressure)
For a row of spray or wash nozzles fed by one pipe, how much flow do they take at the nozzle pressure, what is the pressure loss in the feed pipe, and can the pump supply it?
Check of a nozzle manifold or spray bar: the flow through each nozzle from its orifice size, discharge coefficient and pressure (as the orifice flow tool), the total flow, the velocity, Reynolds number, friction factor and pressure drop in the feed pipe with fittings taken at the full flow (as the pipe friction tool), and the supply pressure needed, against the pump pressure available and a velocity limit.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Number of nozzles | nozzles | Number of nozzles on the manifold. |
| Nozzle orifice diameter | mm | Orifice diameter of each nozzle. |
| Discharge coefficient | Discharge coefficient of the nozzle (from the nozzle maker; about 0.6 for sharp orifices, higher for shaped nozzles). | |
| Pressure at the nozzles | bar | Pressure wanted at the nozzles. |
| Liquid density | kg/m³ | Density of the liquid. |
| Feed pipe | ||
| Pipe inside diameter | mm | Inside diameter of the feed pipe. |
| Pipe length | m | Length of the feed pipe from the pump to the last nozzle. |
| Kinematic viscosity | cSt | Kinematic viscosity of the liquid (1 cSt for water at 20 °C). |
| Pipe roughness | mm | Absolute roughness of the pipe. |
| Fittings loss coefficient (total) | Sum of the loss coefficients of bends, valves and fittings. | |
| Supply | ||
| Pump pressure available | bar | Pressure the pump gives at this flow. |
| Largest pipe velocity | m/s | Highest velocity you accept in the feed pipe. |
Method and formulas
- Flow per nozzle Q = C_d A √(2Δp ÷ ρ) (as the orifice flow tool); total = nozzles × flow.
- Pipe drop = (f L ÷ d + ΣK) ρ v² ÷ 2 with f from Colebrook or 64 ÷ Re (as the pipe friction tool), at the full flow over the whole length.
- Supply pressure = nozzle pressure + pipe drop.
- Example: 34.629 L/min in total; the pipe loses 0.20881 bar, so 3.2088 bar is needed.
Limitations
- Full flow taken over the whole pipe length, which is on the safe side for a manifold that feeds nozzles along its length.
- Equal pressure at every nozzle; long manifolds give less at the far end.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Size the feed pipe for a spray bar
- Check a pump for a parts washer
- See how many nozzles a supply can feed
Who it is for
- Process engineers
- Maintenance engineers
- Machine designers
What you get
- Flow per nozzle and in total
- Feed pipe velocity and pressure drop
- Supply pressure against the pump
Interpreting the result
- Nozzle flow rises only with the square root of pressure: doubling the flow needs four times the pressure.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 3024–3027, 352–368. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
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