Calculate realistic control valve pressure drop

by rules-of-thumb method
H. R. KALATJARI and M. HASHEMI, Sazeh Engineering Consultants, Tehran, Iran

Pressure drop is defined as the difference in pressure between two points of a fluid-carrying network.
Pressure drop occurs when frictional forces, caused by the resistance to flow, act on a fluid as it flows
through the tube. The main determinants of resistance to fluid flow are fluid velocity through the pipe and
fluid viscosity. Pressure drop increases proportional to the frictional shear forces within the piping network
—if there is excessive pressure drop in a system:

Pumps must work harder

More energy is used
The working fluid will increase in temperature.

Depending on the source of the additional pressure loss:

The system pressure can increase

Increased wear can occur
Potentially dangerous over-pressure conditions can be introduced, rendering some tools or
equipment functions inoperable due to inadequate operation pressure, or creating damaging
cavitation and loss of net positive suction head (NPSH).

There is a procedure for making the calculations that determine what the differential pressure (∆P) is for a
control valve in a given system at specific flowrates. For each flow condition, begin upstream of the valve
at a place where the pressure is known. A good example of this type of location would be a centrifugal
pump where the pressure can be determined from the head curve. From this spot in the system, subtract
the pressure loss of each element. Proceed along the path of the system using the calculated pressure
loss at the minimum flowrates for each elbow, isolation valve, heat exchanger and other fixed device,
deducting each pressure loss.

Understanding system pressure losses. In many applications where control valves are applied,
sizing and selection can be quite challenging. In the majority of applications, the control valve is either
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undersized or too large. In an undersized control valve, the valve cannot deliver the required flow for each
stage of the valve lift, creating control problems. An oversized control valve will (under normal operations)
be confined to small openings of the valve with a great risk of variable sensitivity and aggravation of any
uneven movement of the valve and actuator combination. Poor accuracy and unstable control are often
the result of oversized control valves.

The top line in FIG. 1 (showing the values of P1) will start at a relatively high value and decrease as flow
increases. The lower line on the graph (the values of P2) will start at a relatively low value and increase as
the flow increases. The distance between these two lines at any value of flowrates is the valve sizing
differential pressure (∆P). This graph is sometimes called the pressure curves. It can also be considered
as a representation of the system characteristic a summary of the properties of a specific piping system
analogous to the inherent characteristic of a control valve.

FIG. 1. Actual system characteristics.

Once the accurate values of P1, P2 and ∆P have been determined, making the (Cv) calculations and
selecting a control valve can be easily and accurately accomplished.

Control valve pressure drop calculation method. It is vital to remember that all system
components (pipe, fittings, isolation valves, heat exchangers, etc.) are fixed except for the control valve—at
the flowrates required by the system, the pressure loss in each of these elements is also fixed.1 Only the
control valve is variable, and it is connected to a control system that will adjust the control valve to
whatever position is necessary to establish the required flow (and thus achieve the required temperature,
tank level, etc.). At this point, the portion of the overall system pressure differential (the difference
between the pressure at the beginning of the system and at the end of the system) that is not being
consumed by the fixed elements must appear across the control valve. This article will determine whether
the control valve is in the flow line of the pump or not. If the control valve is not in the flow line of the
pump, the following will be done:
 To calculate the inlet pressure of the control valve under normal conditions, the inlet drum pressure
will be added with its static head and the pressure drop of the lines, equipment and fittings will be
subtracted from it.
To calculate the output pressure from the control valve under normal conditions, the pressure of the
drum or the final destination will be added with the pressure drop of the line and the possible static
head.
In the rated and turn-down scenarios, the static pressures are constant, but the line pressure drop
will be calculated in proportion to the square of the coefficients in the normal conditions.

It is important to consider the correct data for a control valve pressure drop calculation, the heat
exchanger thermal rating report, and the line pressure drop based upon line sizing calculations. The vessel
data sheet that details operating pressure, density and unit plot plan or isometric drawings must consider
the equipment elevation.

To size a control valve, it is vital to know how much flow can get through the valve for any given valve
opening and for any given pressure differential. The relationship between pressure drop and flowrates
through a valve is conveniently expressed by a Cv, which is defined as the number of gallons of water per
minute (gpm) at 16°C (60°F) that will pass through a full open valve with a pressure drop of 1 psi. Simply
stated, a control valve with a Cv of 30 has an effective port area in the fully open position so it passes 30
gpm of water with a 1-psi pressure drop.2,3

To calculate the flow of liquid through a valve using the Cv, the engineer must determine if the flow is
subcritical or critical (cavitation/flashing). To do so, it is necessary to compare the pressure drop to some
limit values. If the pressures upstream, inside and downstream of the control valve are greater than the
vapor pressure of the liquid at the flowing temperature, the effective pressure drop is equal to the actual
pressure difference between the upstream and downstream sides of the valve. In this case, the flow is
said to be “sub-critical” and the fluid remains in the liquid phase throughout the system. In the vast
majority of cases it is preferable to maintain sub-critical flow as it reduces valve damage, improves
controllability and requires simpler, less-expensive valve designs. However, if the liquid vapor pressure
exceeds the system pressure inside or downstream of the valve, vaporization will occur and the flow will
become “critical.” In this case, the effective pressure drop across the valve will be limited by the valve
design and the physical properties of the liquid. When the flow is critical, the pressure downstream of the
valve does not affect the flowrate. The flow is sub-critical if (Eqs. 1–4):

P1 – P2 < ∆Pmax (1)

∆Peff = P1 – P2 (2)

∆Pmax = FL2 × (P1 – Ff Pv ) (3)

Ff = 0 × 96 – 0 × 28 √ (Pv /Pc ) (4)

The flow is critical if (Eq. 5):

P1 – P2 > ∆Pmax (5)

Control valve flow coefficient (Cv). The Cv for water is usually determined experimentally by
measuring the flow through a valve with 1 psi of applied pressure to the valve inlet and 0 psi of pressure at
the outlet.4 For incompressible fluids like water, a close approximation rule-of-thumb for subcritical flow
can be found mathematically by using Eq. 6:

Cv = Qv x √ (SG / ∆Peff ) (6)

Eq. 6 shows that the flowrate varies as the square root of the differential pressure across the control valve.
Pressure drop across a valve is highly influenced by the area, shape, path and roughness of the valve.

For critical flow (cavitation/flashing), Eq. 7 can be used to calculate the valve flow coefficient:

Cv = (Qv / FL ) x √ (SG / ∆Peff ) (7)

where:
Cv = Valve flow coefficient (gpm) [Note: The Kv value is the metric equivalent of Cv expressed in m3/hr

with a 1-bar pressure drop at a temperature between 5°C and 40°C (Cv = 1.156 x Kv)]

Qv = Fluid flow, gpm (also given by area of pipe x mean velocity)

SG = Specific gravity of fluid relative to water at 60°F

∆Peff = Pressure drop (P1–P2) across the control valve at maximum flow, psi

FL = Liquid pressure recovery factor (P1 – P2 / P1 – Pvc ) (Pvc is pressure at the vena contracta of the

valve) (FIG. 2)

P1 = Pressure upstream of valve

P2 = Pressure downstream of valve

∆Pmax = Maximum effective pressure drop across the valve

FF = Liquid critical pressure ratio factor (means of estimating the pressure at the vena contracta of the

valve under critical flow conditions)

Pv = Liquid vapor pressure at flowing temperature

 Pc = Liquid critical pressure

FP = The piping geometry factor is an allowance for the pressure drop associated with fittings that

may be connected directly upstream and/or downstream of the valve; if no fittings are connected to
the valve, the piping geometry factor is 1.

Special cavitation-resistant adaptations of many valve styles have larger values of FL than those shown in

FIG. 2, yet they retain the other desirable features of that style. Choked flow does not cause flashing, but
may indicate a flashing situation. Flashing is a system-dependent phenomena where the downstream
pressure (P2 ) is below the liquid’s vapor pressure (Pv ).

FIG. 2. Typical values of the liquid pressure recovery factor, FL.

EXAMPLE 1
A typical process flowsheet is shown in FIG. 3, which is used here to not only identify the problem but also
to establish some basic truths and define some terms. Assume that a process engineer is working on the
unit for a hydrocarbon feed stream that passes the first column, moves through a heat exchanger and
finally ends up in a storage tank.
 FIG. 3. Stabilizer schematic flowsheet.

Problem: Flashing in FV-006. At the point where the fluid’s velocity is at its highest, the pressure is
at its lowest. Fluid is incompressible (liquid): if the pressure falls below the liquid’s vapor pressure, vapor
bubbles form within the valve and collapse into themselves as the pressure increases downstream. This
leads to massive shock waves that are noisy and will certainly ruin the equipment. Based on a process
report during startup conditions, requirements for flashing are: the fluid at the inlet must be in all-liquid
condition, but some vapor must be present at the valve outlet; the fluid at the inlet may be in either a
saturated or a subcooled condition; and the valve outlet pressure must be either at or below the vapor
pressure of the liquid.

How to avoid flashing in this unit? Under such a scenario, two phases are flowing downstream of
the valve: liquid and vapor. Flashing cannot be eliminated in the valve if the downstream pressure is less
than the vapor pressure of liquid. However, the damage can be minimized by increasing the size of the
valve, therefore reducing the velocity.5–8

A pressure drop calculation of FV006 and FV005 is shown in TABLE 1.

Control valve Cv calculation. Operating conditions in the globe valve (FV006) are specified at a
10.11-bar (146.63-psi) pressure drop across a control valve when the valve is fully open with a flowrate of
150 m3/hr (660.4 gpm) of n-butane through the valve. The specific gravity of water is 1. The valve
coefficient can be calculated in TABLE 2.
Operating conditions in the globe valve (FV005) are specified at an 18.21-bar (264.1-psi) pressure drop
across a control valve when the valve is fully open with a flowrate of 15 m3/hr (66.04 gpm) of n-butane
through the valve. According to FIG. 2, FL = 0.92. The valve coefficient can be calculated in TABLE 3.

Note: This limiting or choking pressure drop is represented by ΔPchoked. If flow is choked, the result must

be either cavitation or flashing. However, the inverse is not the case (i.e., it is possible to have cavitation or
flashing without choked flow). Furthermore, cavitation noise and damage often start before ΔP reaches
ΔPchoked. Most valve manufacturers recognize this fact and use one of several methods to predict when

cavitation noise and damage are likely to occur. In liquid systems, cavitation can be present during choked
flow, which creates noise and can ultimately damage the valve. As downstream pressure is reduced,
cavitation transitions to flashing conditions. If the control valve is located in the outlet of a centrifugal
pump due to the presence of various flowrates, the control valve will experience different pressure drops.
FIG. 4 shows the overlap between the system curve and the pump performance curve.
 FIG. 4. Control valve modulation of centrifugal pump flowrates.

Constant value is calculated in normal conditions where all values are known; it will then be replaced for
rated and turndown conditions. According to the position of the control valve, the discharge pressure of
the pump should be set to calculate the input pressure to the control valve. If there are pipe fittings or a
long line from the pump outlet to the control valve, the calculated pressure drop should be deducted from
the pump discharge pressure. To calculate the output pressure from the control valve, the static pressure
of the destination should be added with the pressure drop of the pipeline. It should be noted that the
system pressure drops [ΔP(sys)] will be calculated based on all dynamic pressure drops (except for the
control valve) in the closed-loop cycle from inlet to outlet. This value will be calculated based on the
normal flowrate of the pump. The pump pressure drop will also be calculated based on normal values.

Obviously, the constant value will be calculated under normal conditions. For rated and turndown
scenarios, if the value of overdesign is 110%, this is enough to multiply the ΔP(sys) in normal conditions
by 1.1 to the power of two; if the value of the unit turndown is 45%, ΔP(sys) should be multiplied by 0.45 to
the power of two. To calculate the ΔP(pump) in the turndown and over-design scenarios, a pump vendor
performance curve should be used. By using the above equations, ΔP(cv) is calculated in turndown and
rated modes, and then the P(in) and P(out) will be calculated.

In these conditions: ΔP(pump) – ΔP(sys) – ΔP(cv) = constant

EXAMPLE 2
A typical process flowsheet of an aromatics plant is shown in FIG. 5. Assume that a process engineer is
working on the unit for an HC condensate that passes the degassing drum, then moves through a pump
and finally ends up in a storage tank.

A pressure drop calculation of LV006A and LV006B is shown in TABLE 4.

FIG. 5. Condensate storage tank schematic flowsheet.

Control valve Cv calculation in the rated conditions. Operating conditions in the plug valve
(LV006A) are specified at a 3.41-bar (49.46-psi) pressure drop across a control valve when the valve is
fully open with a flowrate of 248 m3/hr (1,092 gpm) of pentane (n-C5 ) through the valve. According to FIG.

2, FL = 0.77. The valve coefficient can be calculated in TABLE 5.

Operating conditions in the plug valve (LV006B) are specified at a 3.31-bar (48-psi) pressure drop across a
control valve when the valve is fully open with a flowrate of 124 m3/hr (546 gpm) of pentane (n-C5 )

through the valve. According to FIG. 2, FL = 0.77. The valve coefficient can be calculated in TABLE 6.
EXAMPLE 3
A typical process flowsheet of the condensate stabilization unit is shown in FIG. 6. Assume that a process
engineer is working on the unit for an HC condensate that passes the surge drum, then moves through a
pump, and finally ends up in a downstream column.

FIG. 6. HC column schematic flowsheet.

Problem: Choked flow in FV-002. As the pressure drop across the valve is increased, it reaches a
point where the increase in flowrate is less than expected. This continues until no additional flow can be
passed through the valve regardless of the increase in pressure drop This condition is known as choked
passed through the valve regardless of the increase in pressure drop. This condition is known as choked

flow. Choked flow (i.e., critical flow) occurs when an increase in pressure drop across the valve no longer
has any effect on the flowrate through the valve, when an increase in pressure drop across the valve no
longer has any effect on the flowrate through the valve, and when the velocity of the gas or vapor reaches
sonic velocity (Mach 1) at the vena contracta. Choked flow occurs when the jet stream at the vena
contracta attains its maximum cross-sectional area at sonic velocity.

Avoiding choked flow in this unit. Several methods can increase the value of ΔP(choked) and,
therefore, reduce the potential for cavitation and the associated noise and damage:

The value of P1 can be increased while keeping ΔP the same by moving the control valve to a
location further upstream, or to a location at a lower elevation.
The vapor pressure can be decreased by installing the valve where the liquid temperature is lower,
such as the cool side of a heat exchanger.
A valve type with a higher FL value of can be selected. It is interesting to note that (in general) as the
FL increases, so does the price of the valve.

The IEC liquid sizing equation includes the FL, which is used to calculate the choke point of the valve. It is

important to confirm the correct FL value, as it directly impacts the calculated Cv. If these values are

properly considered, the sizing will be accurate for the considered flowrate.

If the pressure differential is sufficiently large, the pressure may, at some point, decrease to less than the
vapor pressure of the liquid. When this occurs, the liquid partially vaporizes and is no longer
incompressible. It is necessary to account for choked flow during the sizing process to ensure against
under sizing a valve (i.e., it is necessary to know the maximum flowrate that a valve can handle under a
given set of conditions). When selecting a valve, it is important to check the pressure recovery
characteristics of the valves for the thermodynamic properties of the fluid. High-recovery valves—such as
ball and butterfly valves—will become choked at lower pressure drops than low-recovery valves—such as
globe valves—which offer a more restricted flow path when fully open. A pressure drop calculation for
FV001 and FV002 is shown in TABLE 7.
Control valve Cv calculation in the rated conditions. Operating conditions are subcritical in the
butterfly valve (FV001) at a 9.04-bar (131.11-psi) pressure drop across a control valve when the valve is
fully open with a flowrate of 58.5 m3/hr (257.6 gpm) of HC condensate through the valve. The specific
gravity of water is 1. The valve coefficient can be calculated in TABLE 7.

Cv = 257.6 × (0.690 / 131.1)0.5 = 18.69 gpm

Operating conditions are critical in the butterfly valve (FV002) at a 10.14-bar (147.1-psi) pressure drop
across a control valve when the valve is fully open with a flowrate of 195 m3/hr (858.6 gpm) of HC liquid
through the valve. The specific gravity of water is 1. According to FIG. 2, FL = 0.4. The valve coefficient can

be calculated in TABLE 8.
Operating conditions are critical in the butterfly valve (FV002) at a 10.14-bar (147.1-psi) pressure drop
across a control valve when the valve is fully open with a flowrate of 195 m3/hr (858.6 gpm) of HC liquid
through the valve. The specific gravity of water is 1. According to FIG. 2, FL = 0.4. The valve coefficient can

be calculated in TABLE 9. HP

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors would like to thank Sina Avaji for his valuable comments and suggestions.

LITERATURE CITED

1. Tripathi, R., P. Malgan and P. Magdum, “Pressure drop analysis for hydraulic valves,” Materials Today: Proceedings 45,
April 2021.
2. Jessee, P., “Determining pressure drop for control valve sizing,” Process Instrumentation, August 2020.
3. Connell, J. R., “Realistic control valve pressure drop,” Chemical Engineering, September 1987.
4. Bhatia, A., “Control valve basics: Sizing and selection,” Continuing Education and Development Inc., Course No: M04-
034, online: https://www.cedengineering.com/userfiles/M04-034%20-
%20Control%20Valve%20Basics%20Sizing%20and%20Selection%20-%20US.pdf
5. Monsen, J., “Control valve liquid flow | Choked flow, cavitation, flashing,” 2022, online:
https://www.valin.com/resources/blog/control-valve-liquid-flow-choked-flow-cavitation-
flashing#:~:text=As%20the%20pressure%20drop%20is,is%20said%20to%20be%20choked
6. Dresser Industries Inc., “Masoneilan control valve sizing handbook,” 2000, online:
http://www.serkon.com.tr/urunler/masoneilan/10%20Teknik%20Dokumanlar/Valve%20Sizing%20Handbook.pdf
7. Monsen, J., “Determining the control valve pressure drop for control valve sizing purposes,” 2015, online:
https://ehcexpert.wordpress.com/2015/06/08/determining-the-control-valve-pressure-drop-for-control-valve-sizing-
purposes/
8. Yu, F., “Allowable liquid control valve pressure drops,” Hydrocarbon Processing, July 2007.

HAMID REZA KALATJARI is the Head of the process department at Sazeh Consultants in
Tehran, Iran. Kalatjari has worked within the Sazeh process department for 21 yr. Previously,
he worked for TOTAL FINA ELF Co. and National Iranian Gas Co (NIGC).

MAHDOKHT HASHEMI is the Process Lead Engineer within the process department of
Sazeh Consultants, where she has worked for 21 yr. Previously, she worked for Zolal Iran
Engineering Co.

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