Beacon ETS

Gas pipeline velocity calculator

Estimate gas velocity in a steel pipe from its size, wall thickness, flow rate, and operating pressure. Results update as you type.

Pipe
Flow and pressure
MSCFH

Thousand standard cubic feet per hour

psig
psia
psia
Result
Estimated gas velocity
–ft/s
Pipe inside diameter
–
Pipe area (a)
–
Pipe area (A)
–
Pressure factor (Pf)
–

How it's calculated

V = Q / (3.6 × Pf × A)
  • V is velocity in feet per second.
  • Q is gas flow in MSCFH. Dividing by 3.6 converts it to standard cubic feet per second.
  • Pf is the pressure factor, (Pm + Pa) / Pb, which converts standard flow to flow at line pressure.
  • A is the pipe's internal cross-sectional area in square feet, from the inside diameter.
Pipe data

Inside diameters are calculated from outside diameter and nominal wall thickness for Standard (STD) and Extra Heavy (XH) steel pipe per ASME B36.10M. For other wall thicknesses or materials, choose Other and enter the inside diameter.

This calculator gives estimates for planning purposes only. It does not account for gas compressibility or temperature, and it is not a substitute for a design calculation by a qualified engineer.

Talk to an engineer