Enter the air flow rate and the inner diameter of the pipe into the calculator to determine the compressed air velocity.

Compressed Air Velocity Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Compressed Air Velocity.

Vca = Q / (60*pi*(d/24)^2)
  • Where Vca is the compressed air velocity (ft/s)
  • Q is the air flow rate (CFM = ft^3/min)
  • d is the diameter of the pipe (in)

To calculate the compressed air velocity, divide the flow rate by the result of 60 times pi time the diameter over 2 squared.

What is a Compressed Air Velocity?

Definition:

Compressed air velocity measures the linear speed of compressed air as it moves through a tube or pipe.

How to Calculate Compressed Air Velocity?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines the steps and information needed to calculate Compressed Air Velocity.

First, determine the air flow rate. In this example, the air flow rate is found to be 300 CFM.

Next, determine the diameter of the pipe. For this problem, the diameter of the pipe is found to be 3in.

Finally, calculate the Compressed Air Velocity using the formula above:

Vca = Q / (60*pi*(d/24)^2

Vca = 300 / (60*3.14159*(3/24)^2)

Vca = 101.85 ft/s