Free Orifice Flow Calculator

Calculate flow rate through a sharp-edged orifice plate from differential pressure.

mm
kPa
kg/m^3

Volumetric Flow Rate

0.00770 m^3/s

Flow Rate7.70 L/s

Volumetric Flow Rate vs Discharge Coefficient (Cd)

Orifice Plate Flow Measurement

An orifice plate restricts flow in a pipe, creating a measurable pressure difference proportional to flow rate.

Formula

Q = Cd A sqrt(2 delta_P / rho)

where Cd is the discharge coefficient (typically 0.60-0.65 for sharp-edged orifices), A is the orifice area, delta_P is the measured differential pressure, and rho is fluid density.

Example Calculation

A 50 mm orifice in a water pipe with 20 kPa differential pressure, Cd = 0.62.

  1. 01A = pi x 0.05^2 / 4 = 0.001963 m^2
  2. 02sqrt(2 x 20000 / 1000) = sqrt(40) = 6.325 m/s
  3. 03Q = 0.62 x 0.001963 x 6.325 = 0.00770 m^3/s = 7.70 L/s

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