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The Table below lists some of the more useful properties in building services for natural gas and liquid petroleum gas
(LPG).
Medium pressure lines - 450 Pa per m run ( 2 P.S.I. per 100 foot )
Low pressure lines - 4.1 Pa per m run ( w.g. /100 ft)
- Maximum 1300 Pa total pressure drop in any run.
Gas Pressures
First stage regulation at tank pressure is reduced from 6 bar to 0.7 bar.
Second stage regulation at building pressure is reduced to 50 mbar (0.05 bar)
At equipment and appliances - 37 millibar (0.037 bar)
The allowable pressure drop between the outlet of the meter and appliances must not exceed 1 mbar or 0.001 bar or 100 Pa.
Pressure loss is generally limited to between 75 Pa and 125 Pa from the meter to the point of use.
Gas Pressures
Procedure
Determine the steel pipe size for a gas boiler if the boiler rating is 28 kW and the measured pipe run is 10.2 metres with 3
elbows.
Procedure
Table 1 below is used for Mild Steel pipe, BS 1387: medium grade.
Table 2 below is used for Copper Tube Table X or EN 1057 thin wall, half hard temper.
Table 3 below is used for Copper Tube Table Y or EN 1057 thick wall, half hard temper.
Table 1 Gas Pipe Sizing for Copper Tube Table Y
It must be remembered that the above method of pipe sizing is not as accurate as using the CIBSE guide method as detailed
in page 3, but can be useful for checking pipe sizes quickly.
Use CIBSE guide Table C4.45 (steel) and C4.46 (copper) for natural and LPG pipe sizing.
If LPG is used then refer to correction factors on page C4.76 of the CIBSE guide.
Most domestic natural gas appliances operate at a pressure of 20 millibar (0.020 bar)
Domestic LPG appliances operate at a gas pressure of 37 mbar (0.037 bar).
For natural gas it is usual to limit the pressure loss to 75 Pa to 125 Pa from the gas meter to the point of use.
A maximum pressure drop from meter to appliance of 1millibar (100 Pa) can be used.
Natural Gas Pipe Sizing Example
Size the gas supply pipe shown below. Copper pipework is used.
Appliance pressure is 20 mbar.
Use the maximum pressure drop given above of 100 Pa from meter to appliance.
Section Length
(metres)
1 Section 1 8 Section 2 Section 3
2 4
3 13
4 5
Gas
5 Meter 4 Section 4 Section 5
25 kW boiler
4 kW gas fire
Q = H / GCV
Where;
Q = Gas flow rate in pipe section (m3/s)
H = Heat output in pipe section (convert to MW)
GCV = Gross Calorific Value of gas (MJ/m3) given in Pipe Sizing Table.
For example, in Pipe section 1 the Heat output to all appliances is 25 + 12 + 4 kW = 41 kW.
Flow rate Q = H / GCV
Q = 41 x 10-3 (MW) / 38.7 (MJ/m3) from Pipe Sizing Table.
Q = 1.05943 x 10-3 m3/s
Q = 0.00105943 m3/s
Q = approximately 0.00106 m3/s
GROSS CALORIFIC
GAS VALUE
MJ/m3
Natural gas 38.7
Section 4 Section 5
Gas Meter (22mm) (15mm)
19.50 Pa p.d. 17.60 Pa p.d.
25 kW boiler
4 kW gas fire
The maximum pressure drop is in sections 1, 2 and 3 and amounts to 76.43 Pa.
This is less than the recommended maximum of 100 Pa; therefore the pipe sizes are appropriate.
If the pressure drop in sections 1, 2 and 3 and was too high then the pipe size in section 2 could have been increased to
22mm, and a second calculation of pressure drop carried out.