In today’s post, we’ll show you how to calculate flowrate through a pipe. It’s a fairly simple concept, and only involves one formula:
Flowrate = (Velocity of water) x (Cross sectional area of pipe)
In the following video, I demonstrate how to calculate flowrate in a pipe. If you’re looking for practice problems to prepare for the operator certification test, click here.
Here’s what you need to know about calculating flowrate in a pipe.
The velocity is the speed of the water flowing through the pipe, while the cross-sectional area is the area of the face of the pipe, as you look into it.
When you multiply these two numbers, you get the flowrate of the water flowing through the pipe. It’s fairly simple. Of course, this formula can be used for both water and wastewater problems.
The one thing to keep in mind is making sure your units are correct. When you multiply the velocity and area, you need to check and make sure they are consistent. For example, if the velocity is in ft/sec, then the area should be in ft2 , not in2 .
If you’re looking for additional articles on math problems, click here.
Good luck!
HELPFUL RESOURCES:
Practice Exams for Operator Certification Test
TIPS ON HOW TO IMPROVE MATH SKILLS
When I ask operators about their biggest weakness, it’s typically their math skills. Therefore, on the operator certification test, their biggest struggle is the math section.
Consequently, many of my students ask me how they can improve their math skills. The answer is simple. I suggest solving a lot of math problems until you master them. Once you learn how to solve them, repetition is the key to success.
Get your hands on as many relevant operator math problems as you can, and try to solve all of them. It’s what I did as a student, and achieved high scores on many exams.