Pipe volume calculator: Uses, advantages and needs

Pipe volume calculator is used for calculating the volume of the pipes being used in construction work

A pipe is a type of tube that is mainly cylindrical in structure and used to transfer water, gas or any other kind of fluid and liquid substances from one place to another.

Pipes are crucial because there is some industrial development each day. It is also necessary for domestic uses like passing out dirty water and other liquid waste. 

So, different use cases need different sizes of pipes, which means it’s essential to know how to calculate the volume of a pipe, and you can use a calculator for that as well.

Pipe volume calculator: Uses, advantages and needs 1

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Pipe volume calculator: What is it?

One mainly uses a pipe volume calculator to quickly determine the exact volume of not only the pipe but also the weight or liquid mass of water or any other liquid that will flow through that pipe. This is why a pipe volume calculator is also known as a liquid volume calculator.

 

Pipe volume calculator: Where is it used?

Some professionals who require the use of a pipe volume calculator include plumbers, irrigation specialists, septic teams, and pool service technicians. It helps them determine what pipe to install, determine the pressure and the water flow through the pipe, and it could maximise pump efficiency.

Also, there are many other things that can be calculated with a pipe volume calculator, which are as follows.

  • The water capacity of home heating systems.
  • If there is any artificial pond in the making, one can do the calculations needed for refilling that same pond.
  • Swimming pools need a lot of calculations in making and refilling. The same pipe volume calculator can do it.
  • The calculator can also help find out the volume needed for any kind of irrigation system.

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Pipe volume calculator: What is volume?

Volume is the amount of space that a substance or object occupies or that is enclosed within a container. So, the volume of a pipe is equal to the volume of the liquid inside (if filled with it). 

Formula to find the volume of a pipe:

We know that the pipe’s shape is that of a cylinder. So the formula to calculate the pipe volume is

Volume = pi x radius² x length

Now, there are specific steps that we need to follow to do piping size calculations.

  1. First, we have to find the pipe’s inner diameter and length in units of either inches or millimetres.
  2. As we have already calculated the diameter, we can quickly get the radius from the diameter of the pipe by multiplying the diameter by 1/2.
  3. The last step is to square the radius we calculated in the previous step and put the data in the formula.

Example

Pipe volume calculator: Uses, advantages and needs 2

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Let us think of a pipe which has a diameter of 2 inches and a length of 40 feet.

First, to find the radius of the pipe,

Radius = diameter/2

            = 2/2 

            = 1.

Now, for the length,

Length = 40 feet

             = 40 × 12 inches ( since 1 foot = 12 inches)

             = 480 inches.

We know volume = π (pi) × radius squared × length

                              = 3.14159 × ( 1×1) × 480

                              = 1514.24638 in³.

 

Pipe volume calculator: How to calculate the mass of water in a pipe?

Here we will calculate the volume of the liquid flowing through the pipe while using the pipe volume calculator. 

  1. First of all, you need to find the inner diameter of the pipe so that you can get the radius from the same.
  2. In the next step, you have to correctly type the length of the pipe, which will act like the height of any cylindrical-shaped object.
  3. For the liquid mass, we should know the density of the given liquid. In our case, it is water and the liquid density of water = 997 kg/m³.
  4. After you have given this information, the calculator will provide you with the liquid mass, which will be accurately calculated just as you have wanted.

 

Pipe volume calculator: Why is the pipe volume calculation so important?

In most cases, the calculator is used by the members of a construction project which involves the use of these pipes. So a small mistake in calculation can cause many problems and inefficiencies.

By the pipe volume, one can estimate the wait time the source of water will take to turn the cold water into hot water in cases of a heated water outlet. A longer time could mean higher electricity bills and even cause equipment problems.

Here is the wait time formula that will give an idea of how long it will take hot water to discharge from a heating inlet as cold water flows in.

The formula to calculate the wait time for any system is as follows;

T = V / Q

where,

T = Time 

V = Volume of the pipe

Q = Outlet flow rate

 

Pro tips for piping size calculation in the following cases

  • Suppose you do not know the way to measure the inner diameter of the pipe. You can consider investing in a set of callipers that fit around the outside of the pipe and then use these same callipers to calculate the thickness of the pipe. The difference between them is the inner diameter.
  • Now suppose you have to calculate the volume across multiple sections of pipes that differ in size. This is when the spreadsheet comes into the picture. In this case, the price volume spreadsheet is set up so that you can get your required results.
  • If you are facing problems trusting the spreadsheets given on the internet, we will suggest you create your charts in the pipe volume spreadsheet. 
  • Lastly, it is very important to follow each instruction given in the pipe volume calculator you are using. You have to make correct calculations, without which the job would be either incomplete or faulty.

 

FAQs

What is the importance of a pipe volume calculator?

We have already mentioned in the previous parts of the article that a pipe volume calculator has a lot of benefits. First of all, it saves a lot of time as it could have taken much more if one had to calculate volume on their own.

What is a pipe volume chart?

As it is not always possible for the engineer to sit and calculate the pipe volumes, there is a chart that contains volumes of different pipes with different given measurements.

What can we come to know about through this calculator?

We come to know about the volume of the liquid flowing through the pipe. Also, this is what tells us how much pressure the pipe can handle.

 

 

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