Manifold inlet/outlet orientation question

[AllAngles]

Fluid dynamics is outside my expertise and well outside my normal area of work, so looking for some "rule of thumb" type guidance. The reality of the application is that other restrictions downstream make this component nearly moot, but I want it to be right regardless and hopefully I'll learn something along the way.

I'm working on a small manifold used with gasoline at ~70psi. Two inlets feed the manifold and a single outlet. Right now, the manifold shape is cylindrical with the outlet in the center of the bottom surface and inlets approaching from the sides with about 90 degrees of separation. Cylinder is ~1.25" diameter and 0.4" high.

I'm trying to decide if there is any advantage to connecting the inlets tangent to the cylinder versus radially. Would intentionally "spinning" the fluid within the manifold help flow, reduce cross-talk between the pumps, cause cavitation, or? Or, am I better off just going to a 2-into-1 "Y" type configuration?

Variables I can change are manifold shape (but not height) and the angle between the inlets.

Mikah B.

http://www.allanglesdesign.com

 

[osoloco]

1.25" diam x 0.4" long is a small manifold!
A "Y" configuration will give you less pressure loss. Unless the velocities are large, above 10fps, I doubt that you will tell the difference.
Are you blending two grades of gasoline?

 

[AllAngles]

Not blending two gasolines, just adding another pump to an existing system to make more volume available downstream.

Yes, the manifold is small. I have some ability to make it larger, but as the size increases, flexibility around shape would decrease due to packaging constraints.

Calculator tells me that flow rates could go well over 10f/s (as high as 30f/s) as a small outlet and downstream pipe is one of our major constraints.

Mikah B.

http://www.allanglesdesign.com

 

[osoloco]

Your header could be as simple as a Tee fitting.
Your efforts should be concentrated on installing a larger pipeline as this will reduce your friction losses more than than improvements to your header.