I am pumping various chemicals (oils, resins and solvents) over a distance of up to 12 metres. The inlet and outlet points are at the same height. For the majority of the distance, the pipework will be 1.5". At the final 500mm of pipework, the simplest and cheapest option for my design is to step the pipes down to 1.25".
Can I expect much reduction in flow rate due to this diameter reduction right at the end? Or will the losses over the rest of the pipework make this step-down a negligible drop?
Edit: to narrow down the answer, assume 12m total pipe length, 6x 90° bends, no valves or other obstructions, liquid 960 kg/m3 and 240 mPas. Flow rate up to the diameter reduction is about 55L per minute. Some clarification of the pipework:
- material is mostly stainless steel with maybe 25% poly hose.
- I am not expecting the pipe to degrade, rust, or otherwise change internal properties over time.
