How do you calculate pipe length?

Answer 1

You don't calculate length. You MEASURE length. You use a steel tape measure, or if you want a very accurate answer, and the piece of pipe is less than 30 cm, then you measure it with a Vernier Caliper.

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There are too many details needed to answer the question, it would be the same if one asked, "how long is a piece of rope".

1. What material is the pipe made of?...Steel, type of steel and grade, iron, PVC, copper, galvanized, stainless (from grade 7170 or lower)...?

2. OD (outer dimension), ID (inner dimension) measured with calipers=circular size & wall thickness.

3. Predetermined length, any pipe can be cut to any length, often once determined, if the threads are cracked or cross-threaded, a new connection must be re-threaded. Thus for proper fit, a nipple may be needed, unless using PVC, the nipple will need threaded as well as will the piece just cut.

4. What is the pipe intended for, i.e.; type of pipe, what will be flowing through it, gaseous compound, water, oil (type of oil), tepid temperature, warm/hot, cool/cold, vertical or horizontal laying of said pipe. any of these factors will effect both the outside diameter, and minor changes in length.

5. Depending, this could be simple math, in other instances, it can easily become extremely complicated algebraic calculations. Such as in Drilling (deeper for water and/or oil wells), naturally the deeper the well, the more the pipe will actually stretch. How much it stretches depends on several factors, pipe material made from, tensile strength (how much stretch before it becomes risky of breaking or cracking under weight), what is the annular of the hole, type of fluid used which is used to both lubricate (brine-Saltwater is heavier than natural water-type of mud often mixed with either of the aforementioned), oil based and type, plus thickness of said fluids.

The fluid has more than one thing it can tell a driller and geologist, fluids are pumped at a given pressure, this allows the jets in the drill bit to keep the bottom of the formation so it can keep the bit from wearing out too quickly. As the fluid is doing that job, it flows up back to the Annulus of the hole (it has to go somewhere), it then runs through several valves where it will empty on to what is called a "Shaker Screen", causing it to sift out parts of the earths formation. A Geologist can easily tell you what type of formation you are in, is it from very soft, to hard, have you hit a rock formation, type of rock. Anhydrites is one of the hardest to get though and takes a much different type of drill bit, and more expensive. Must also remember the deeper one drills, the more hot it becomes down hole.

Even what are known as Drill Collars, they can range from 4" in diameter to (although rare) 16", the inner dimension of Collars depend on the size, from 1" to 3", typical is 8" or 10", made of near pure Stainless Steel, with non-magnetic compounds and/or coating. They are the heaviest of all pipe, used at the beginning of a well for additional weight, or in a very hard formation, although going too deep, and they can damage the drill pipe. Even the strongest Drill Collars will also stretch, 5" 1/2" thick walls at 5,000 feet can stretch as much as 40 or more feet. Who much stretch knowing the properties of the pipe, and type of drilling fluid used will also affect the stretch.

Since you cannot drill any well with only one size of pipe [the deeper you go, the smaller the hole must become at the given depth] needed. Therefore each particular depth, the hole must be cased (also known as a liner) with much larger diameter but thinner pipe, each of these are permanently cemented inside the larger casing (of course it can be drilled out if needed). Again one must know all the above information, should your calculations be off, hanging a liner must be almost exact, or it will fail costing the drilling company a lot of time and money.

Land rigs cost approximately $20,000 per day, off-shore can be as high as $35,000 dollars per day. Most all of the above work will be done by an outside contractor known as Oil Well Service Companies using trained operators, this is only a small part of what these Service Co.'s perform. The calculations were once done all by hand, and are still done by hand to check the calculations over and over again against a laptop, but they will only give you the correct information if entered properly.

Not all pipe is made the same, although at one time it was standardized throughout the United States in manufacturing, such as is still done today with the manufacture of the 'Service Industry', they must have Certifications, ISO-9000 and above, API, QA/QC, Licensed Engineers and Operators.

Such is why this question cannot be answered without more information, only so much standardized pipe can used in building homes, at several points, pipe must be cut for proper lengths in order to have the optimum installation