Chilled Water Loop Pipe Sizing Calculations

Sizing piping networks correctly balances capital cost (pipe prices) and operating costs (pump horsepower).

Pipe Sizing Steps

• Flow Rate Calculation: Determine water GPM using cooling loads and design temperature differential (delta T).
• Velocity Limits: Maintain fluid velocity below 8 ft/s to prevent erosion and noise, but above 2 ft/s to prevent air binding.
• Friction Head Loss: Calculate pressure drops using the Hazen-Williams equation to select energy-efficient pumps.

Using correct parameters prevents sizing issues in large scale commercial MEP systems.