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Engineering ToolBox > Steam Control Valves - Calculating Kv Values
The procedure below can be used for proper design of steam process control valves and their correct flow factors - Kv.
Start with the absolute pressure before the control valve, and the actual pressure drop available over the valve, and determine the pressure coefficient - Pcoef - in the table below.
Note! The pressure drop can not exceed the critical pressure drop which is approximately 42% of the inlet pressure.
| Pcoeff | Pressure drop (bar) | |||||||||||||||
| Absolute Pressure - Pin - (bar) | Specific Volume - v - (m3/kg) | 0.5 | 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 2.5 | 3 | 3.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 |
| 1 | 1.69 | 0.3 | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | 0.89 | 0.56 | 1.13 | |||||||||||||
| 3 | 0.61 | 0.83 | 1.65 | 2.48 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | 0.45 | 1.1 | 2.21 | 3.31 | 4.42 | |||||||||||
| 5 | 0.38 | 1.33 | 2.67 | 4 | 5.33 | 6.67 | ||||||||||
| 6 | 0.32 | 1.58 | 3.16 | 4.75 | 6.33 | 7.91 | 9.49 | |||||||||
| 7 | 0.27 | 1.83 | 3.67 | 5.5 | 7.33 | 9.17 | 11 | 12.83 | ||||||||
| 8 | 0.24 | 2.08 | 4.16 | 6.24 | 8.32 | 10.4 | 12.48 | 14.57 | 16.65 | |||||||
| 9 | 0.21 | 2.33 | 4.66 | 6.98 | 9.31 | 11.64 | 13.97 | 16.29 | 18.62 | 20.95 | ||||||
| 10 | 0.19 | 2.57 | 5.15 | 7.72 | 10.29 | 12.87 | 15.44 | 18.01 | 20.59 | 23.16 | 25.73 | |||||
| 11 | 0.18 | 2.82 | 5.64 | 8.46 | 11.27 | 14.09 | 16.91 | 19.73 | 22.55 | 25.37 | 28.18 | 31 | ||||
| 12 | 0.16 | 3.06 | 6.12 | 9.18 | 12.25 | 15.31 | 18.37 | 21.43 | 24.49 | 27.55 | 30.61 | 33.68 | 36.74 | |||
| 13 | 0.15 | 3.31 | 6.62 | 9.93 | 13.24 | 16.55 | 19.85 | 23.16 | 26.47 | 29.78 | 33.09 | 36.4 | 39.71 | 43.02 | ||
| 14 | 0.14 | 3.55 | 7.11 | 10.66 | 14.21 | 17.77 | 21.32 | 24.88 | 28.43 | 31.98 | 35.54 | 39.09 | 42.64 | 46.2 | 49.75 | |
| 15 | 0.13 | 3.8 | 7.59 | 11.39 | 15.19 | 18.98 | 22.78 | 26.58 | 30.37 | 34.17 | 37.97 | 41.76 | 45.56 | 49.35 | 53.15 | 56.95 |
In a steam system with 9 bar gauge pressure the absolute pressure is 10 bar.If a pressure drop of 3.5 bar is accepted and suitable for the steam consumer, the pressure coefficient - Pcoef - should be 18.01.
Select the pressure coefficient - Pcoef - column closest possible to the actual pressure coefficient calculated in step 1.
Follow the column down until reaching the appropriate actual flow value. Interpolate between values if necessary.
Go left in the table to find the actual flow factor Kv.
| Steam Flow (kg/h) | Pressure Coefficient - Pcoeff | |||||||||
| Kv | 1 | 1.25 | 1.56 | 1.95 | 2.44 | 3.05 | 3.81 | 4.77 | 5.96 | 7.45 |
| 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 0.02 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 0.02 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 0.03 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 0.05 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 0.08 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 0.11 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 0.17 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 15 |
| 0.26 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 |
| 0.38 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 30 | 33 |
| 0.58 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 26 | 29 | 32 | 36 | 40 | 45 | 50 |
| 0.86 | 27 | 31 | 34 | 38 | 43 | 48 | 54 | 60 | 67 | 75 |
| 1.3 | 41 | 46 | 51 | 57 | 64 | 72 | 80 | 90 | 100 | 112 |
| 2.0 | 62 | 69 | 77 | 86 | 96 | 108 | 120 | 135 | 151 | 168 |
| 2.9 | 93 | 103 | 116 | 129 | 145 | 162 | 181 | 202 | 226 | 253 |
| 4.4 | 139 | 155 | 174 | 194 | 217 | 242 | 271 | 303 | 339 | 379 |
| 6.6 | 208 | 233 | 260 | 291 | 325 | 364 | 407 | 455 | 508 | 568 |
| 9.9 | 312 | 349 | 390 | 436 | 488 | 546 | 610 | 682 | 763 | 853 |
| 14.8 | 468 | 524 | 586 | 655 | 732 | 818 | 915 | 1023 | 1144 | 1279 |
| 22.2 | 703 | 786 | 878 | 982 | 1098 | 1228 | 1373 | 1535 | 1716 | 1918 |
| 33.3 | 1054 | 1179 | 1318 | 1473 | 1647 | 1841 | 2059 | 2302 | 2574 | 2877 |
| 49.9 | 1581 | 1768 | 1976 | 2210 | 2471 | 2762 | 3088 | 3453 | 3860 | 4316 |
| 74.8 | 2372 | 2652 | 2965 | 3315 | 3706 | 4143 | 4632 | 5179 | 5790 | 6474 |
| 112 | 3558 | 3978 | 4447 | 4972 | 5559 | 6215 | 6948 | 7769 | 8686 | 9711 |
| 168 | 5336 | 5966 | 6671 | 7458 | 8338 | 9322 | 10423 | 11653 | 13028 | 14566 |
| 253 | 8005 | 8949 | 10006 | 11187 | 12507 | 13983 | 15634 | 17479 | 19543 | 21849 |
| 379 | 12007 | 13424 | 15009 | 16780 | 18761 | 20975 | 23451 | 26219 | 29314 | 32774 |
| 568 | 18010 | 20136 | 22513 | 25170 | 28141 | 31463 | 35177 | 39329 | 43971 | 49161 |
| 852 | 27016 | 30204 | 33769 | 37755 | 42212 | 47194 | 52765 | 58993 | 65956 | 73741 |
| 1278 | 40523 | 45307 | 50654 | 56633 | 63318 | 70791 | 79147 | 88489 | 98934 | 110612 |
| Steam Flow (kg/h) | Pressure Coefficient - Pcoeff | |||||||||
| Kv | 9.31 | 11.64 | 14.55 | 18.19 | 22.74 | 28.42 | 35.53 | 44.41 | 55.51 | 69.39 |
| 0.01 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 0.02 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 0.02 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| 0.03 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 0.05 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 0.08 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 |
| 0.11 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 27 | 30 |
| 0.17 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 26 | 29 | 32 | 36 | 40 | 45 |
| 0.26 | 25 | 28 | 31 | 35 | 39 | 43 | 48 | 54 | 61 | 68 |
| 0.38 | 37 | 42 | 46 | 52 | 58 | 65 | 73 | 81 | 91 | 102 |
| 0.58 | 56 | 62 | 70 | 78 | 87 | 97 | 109 | 122 | 136 | 152 |
| 0.86 | 84 | 94 | 105 | 117 | 131 | 146 | 163 | 183 | 204 | 228 |
| 1.3 | 126 | 140 | 157 | 175 | 196 | 219 | 245 | 274 | 306 | 343 |
| 2.0 | 188 | 210 | 235 | 263 | 294 | 329 | 368 | 411 | 460 | 514 |
| 2.9 | 282 | 316 | 353 | 395 | 441 | 493 | 552 | 617 | 689 | 771 |
| 4.4 | 424 | 474 | 530 | 592 | 662 | 740 | 827 | 925 | 1034 | 1156 |
| 6.6 | 635 | 710 | 794 | 888 | 993 | 1110 | 1241 | 1388 | 1551 | 1734 |
| 9.9 | 953 | 1066 | 1191 | 1332 | 1489 | 1665 | 1862 | 2081 | 2327 | 2602 |
| 14.8 | 1430 | 1598 | 1787 | 1998 | 2234 | 2498 | 2792 | 3122 | 3491 | 3903 |
| 22.2 | 2145 | 2398 | 2681 | 2997 | 3351 | 3746 | 4189 | 4683 | 5236 | 5854 |
| 33.3 | 3217 | 3597 | 4021 | 4496 | 5026 | 5620 | 6283 | 7025 | 7854 | 8781 |
| 49.9 | 4825 | 5395 | 6032 | 6744 | 7540 | 8429 | 9424 | 10537 | 11781 | 13171 |
| 74.8 | 7238 | 8092 | 9047 | 10115 | 11309 | 12644 | 14137 | 15805 | 17671 | 19757 |
| 112 | 10857 | 12138 | 13571 | 15173 | 16964 | 18966 | 21205 | 23708 | 26506 | 29635 |
| 168 | 16285 | 18208 | 20357 | 22760 | 25446 | 28449 | 31808 | 35562 | 39759 | 44452 |
| 253 | 24428 | 27312 | 30535 | 34139 | 38169 | 42674 | 47711 | 53343 | 59639 | 66679 |
| 379 | 36642 | 40967 | 45803 | 51209 | 57254 | 64011 | 71567 | 80014 | 89459 | 100018 |
| 568 | 54963 | 61451 | 68704 | 76814 | 85880 | 96017 | 107350 | 120021 | 134188 | 150027 |
| 852 | 82445 | 92176 | 103056 | 115220 | 128820 | 144026 | 161025 | 180032 | 201282 | 225040 |
| 1278 | 123668 | 138265 | 154584 | 172831 | 193231 | 216038 | 241538 | 270048 | 301923 | 337560 |
For a pressure coefficient - Pcoef =18.01 from above, and a steam flow of 600 kg/h, the flow factor - Kv should be close to 4.4.
The tables above are based on the formula:
Kv = m / (31.7 (dP / v)1/2) (1)
where
m= steam flow (kg/h)
dP = pressure drop (bar)
v = specific volume of steam before control valve (m3/kg)