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Test Facility for Pressure Losses in Plumbing Pipes and Fittings
Published
Author(s)
Lingnan Lin, Natascha S. Milesi-Ferretti, Glen A. Glaeser
Abstract
This report describes a new test facility at NIST for the measurement of pressure losses in pipes and fittings used in plumbing systems. Pressure losses are fundamental inputs to the design of premise plumbing systems, yet the available technical data on pressure loss in pipe fittings are limited and largely outdated. The Plumbing Hydraulics Laboratory is designed to test plumbing pipes, tubing, and fittings of different materials and different types, including couplings, reducers/expanders, elbows, tees, and crosses, for Nominal Pipe Size (NPS) from ½ to 1. It is designed to operate in velocities between 0.30 m/s and 4.57 m/s (1 ft/s and 15 ft/s) in the test section. The static pressure at different locations along the test section is measured using custom-made piezometer rings, an array of differential pressure transducers of different ranges, and an automatic pressure switching system. The measured pressure distribution can be used to derive the friction factor of a straight pipe and the pressure loss coefficient of a fitting. In addition to generating benchmarked pressure loss data for modern plumbing pipes and fittings, the detailed pressure-flow measurements will enhance the understanding of the flow characteristics in different fittings. The goal is to facilitate the development of a simple, accurate, and cost-effective test method that can be widely implemented in the plumbing industry as well as other piping applications (e.g., hydronic heating and cooling, fire protection).
Lin, L.
, Milesi-Ferretti, N.
and Glaeser, G.
(2024),
Test Facility for Pressure Losses in Plumbing Pipes and Fittings, Technical Note (NIST TN), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2294, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=957892
(Accessed November 23, 2024)