A method for determining valve coefficient and resistance coefficient for predicting gas flowrate

A method is introduced to determine the valve flow coefficient and resistance coefficient with the experiment of air discharging from a reservoir, and with the least squares method to fit the cumulative molar quantities discharged. The test valve is an angle-seat valve (Type 2632, Burkert) with different apertures. At pressure difference of about 6 bar, the choked flow occurs when the valve aperture over 60%. Both the valve coefficient and resistance coefficient model can exactly predict the flowrate for the non-choked flow, while there are larger deviations for the choked flow. The modified equation for the choked flow can improve the prediction. In the resistance coefficient model, the value of resistance coefficient and the discharged cumulative molar quantities obtained with both the compressible and incompressible assumption are very close. The compressibility of air is negligible within the experimental pressure difference of about 6 bar. The additivity of the resistance coefficient makes the model more convenient to use. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.