Math & Numbers

Minor (Local) Head Loss Calculator (h = K·v²/2g)

Compute the minor (local) head loss and pressure drop for pipe fittings, valves and bends: h_m = K·v²/(2g), ΔP_m = K·ρ·v²/2. Ships typical K values for 14 common components (gate/globe/check/angle/ball valves, 90°/45° elbows, tees, sudden contraction/expansion, sharp entrance/exit); choose a preset or supply a custom K. Supports n identical fittings in series. Returns head loss (m, ft) and pressure drop (Pa, kPa, bar). Density in kg/m³, g/cm³ or lb/ft³.

json· JSON resultOpen tool

Quick start

Call this tool from your code in three languages.

cURL

curl -X POST 'https://api.elysiatools.com/en/api/tools/minor-loss-calculator' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"componentType":"elbow_90_std","K":0.9,"velocity":2,"density":1000,"densityUnit":"kg_m3","gravity":9.81,"quantity":4,"decimalPlaces":4}'

API reference

Send a POST request with your inputs as JSON. File parameters require a separate upload first.

Endpoint

HTTP

POST https://api.elysiatools.com/en/api/tools/minor-loss-calculator

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
componentType	select	No	Pick a preset to pre-fill a typical loss coefficient K. The K field below stays user-editable; if you leave K empty the preset's typical value is used.
K	number	Yes	Loss coefficient K (dimensionless). If left empty and a preset Component Type is selected, the preset's typical K is used. When Component Type is "Custom K", K must be provided. Typical ranges: gate valve ~0.15, globe valve ~10, 90° std elbow ~0.9, sharp exit ~1.0.
velocity	number	Yes	Mean flow velocity v in the pipe (m/s).
density	number	No	Fluid density ρ in the selected Density Unit (default water ≈ 1000 kg/m³).

MCP integration

Add this tool to your Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can list and call it.

Server configuration

Add this block to your MCP client configuration:

mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "elysiatools-minor-loss-calculator": {
      "name": "minor-loss-calculator",
      "description": "Compute the minor (local) head loss and pressure drop for pipe fittings, valves and bends: h_m = K·v²/(2g), ΔP_m = K·ρ·v²/2. Ships typical K values for 14 common components (gate/globe/check/angle/ball valves, 90°/45° elbows, tees, sudden contraction/expansion, sharp entrance/exit); choose a preset or supply a custom K. Supports n identical fittings in series. Returns head loss (m, ft) and pressure drop (Pa, kPa, bar). Density in kg/m³, g/cm³ or lb/ft³.",
      "baseUrl": "https://api.elysiatools.com/mcp/sse?toolId=minor-loss-calculator",
      "command": "",
      "args": [],
      "env": {},
      "isActive": true,
      "type": "sse"
    }
  }
}

List available tools

After connecting to the SSE endpoint, list the exposed tools:

tools/list

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/list"
}

Call this tool

Invoke the tool by its id, passing arguments built from its parameters:

tools/call

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 2,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "minor-loss-calculator",
    "arguments": {
  "componentType": "elbow_90_std",
  "K": 0.9,
  "velocity": 2,
  "density": 1000,
  "densityUnit": "kg_m3",
  "gravity": 9.81,
  "quantity": 4,
  "decimalPlaces": 4
}
  }
}

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