This Technical Note provides a review of the data in the literature for incompressible flow through orifice plates published prior to 2006. These data include measurements and numerical predictions of the flow field and pressure distribution over the orifice test pipe, pressure drops across the orifice plate, and pressure loss and discharge coefficients data. Although a considerable part of the data reviewed is from measurements in orifice flow-meters and in support of their international standards, the data reviewed here are beyond these standards.

The consistency of the data and the effects of non-standard flow, operation and installation conditions are discussed. The main emphasis of this Technical Note is on data for: (1) circular, concentric orifices in circular pipes, (2) ducts with identical downstream and upstream cross-sectional areas, (3) laminar, transitional and turbulent flow regimes, (4) fully-developed, swirl-free, steady flow conditions with no-cross flow upstream and downstream of the orifice plate, and (5) single-phase, Newtonian liquids and gases in incompressible flow. However, a brief review on the data for cooling holes, annular and non-circular orifices, and perforated plates is also presented.