Velocity in pipe Page 1 of 3

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Velocity in pipe
 Category: Hydraulic calculation for fire protection engineers (/Table/Support/Hydraulic-calculation-for-fire-protection-

engineers/)

Some fire sprinkler design authorities such as EN 12845 limit the velocity through pipes and valves in fire sprinkler
systems; this is the case with EN 12845 however NFPA and FM do not have any restriction. The case for limiting
velocity is that the Hazen-Williams formula is less accurate outside its normal range and equivalent pipe lengths for
fittings, which are generally used, start to lose their validity. Some authorities believe that velocity is self-limiting as
pressure losses increase exponentially as velocities increase, so pipe sizes must be increased to make use of
available water supply pressure.

EN 12845 limits velocity to 6 m/s through valves and flow switches and 10 m/s at any other point in the system.
Velocity in pipe can be calculated using the following formula:-

The following table lists the maximum flows in litres per minute which can be obtained through steel pipework to EN
10255 specifications for both 6 m/s and 10 m/s.

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Velocity in pipe Page 2 of 3

Maximum flows through pipes for EN 12845 fire sprinkler systems

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