SFX Fluid Calculator

PSI-Design

About this app

**Calculate hydraulic and pneumatic systems for special effects work**

Designed for SFX crews working with fluid-powered cylinders and gas cannons. Unlike other calculators, this app accounts for flow restrictions through hoses and fittings - giving you realistic performance predictions, not just theoretical values. It allows much higher flow rates & velocities than industrial calculators are intended for

**Three Specialized Calculators:**

**Hose & Elbow Calculator**
Calculate pressure drop and maximum flow through your hose runs. See how hose length, diameter, and fittings affect performance.

**Cylinder Calculator**
Determine forces, velocities, and timing for hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders. Includes buckling analysis for compression loads with safety factors.

**Gas Cannon Calculator**
Simulate compressed gas expansion for pneumatic cannons. Model gas transfer through orifices with choked flow calculations. Based on testing, 70% efficiency matches real-world results - a great starting point for your setup. It has a setting for dead-space (the volume at the top of the cylinder + hose from the valve to the cylinder) which has a big effect on the force & velocity profile. You can use this to run higher pressures but to spread out the force / acceleration to stop it buckling the rig.

**Why Flow Restrictions Matter:**
Most calculators assume unlimited flow, but real-world hoses and fittings create significant restrictions. This app shows you:
- Actual pressure available after hose losses
- True flow capacity of your system
- How to properly size hoses and ports

**Features:**
✓ Metric and imperial units
✓ Multiple fluid types (hydraulic oil, water, air, nitrogen)
✓ BSP fitting sizes built-in up th 2"
✓ Print-friendly reports
✓ Works offline
✓ No ads, no tracking, completely free

**Built by SFX crew for SFX crew**

Whether you're rigging a cylinder-powered effect or calculating cannon trajectories, this app gives you the numbers you need to plan your setup and troubleshoot performance issues. You can feed the force / velocity profiles into Solidworks Mothion Analysis to calculate actual trajectories.

What’s new

First Release
This is a calculator for Special Effects Crews involved in Hydraulics, Pneumatics and Gas Cannons. Unusually, it calculates the max flow through hoses, fittings and ports to give a more accurate indication of force & velocity.