1

Summary:

The purpose of the experiment was to develop a calibration curve for a rotameter so that it
may be used to measure flow in a pipe. The rotameter is a very commonly used flow
measuring device, especially in low pressure systems. It is used for both liquid and gas
flows. It is a variable area meter which consists of a vertical, tapered, transparent tube
containing a float. The float moves upward as the fluid flow increases. A variable ring or
annulus is created between the outer diameter of the float and the inner wall of the tube.
As the float moves upward in the tube, the area of the annulus increases. The float will
continue to move upward until a pressure drop across the float, which is unique for each
rotameter, is reached. This pressure drop across the float is constant regardless of the flow
rate. The mass flow rate of water was measured by taking mass of water & corresponding
time interval for different float level reading of rotameter. From the readings the rotameter
coefficient (C) and Re/C were calculated and then plotted on the graph paper. This plot is
independent of fluids an applicable for the specific rotameter. From the plot the rotameter
coefficients for kerosene were determined. And then the flow rates were calculated to plot
a rotameter reading vs. flow rate graph for the both fluids. The plot is found linear and the
slope of the line of kerosene is greater than that of water.
















2
Apparatus:

1. A rotameter
2. A bucket
3. A stop watch
4. Manometer
5. A pipe
6. Pump
7. Water reservoir
















3
Experimental Setup:


Figure 1: Schematic Diagram for Calibration of Rotameter





4
Observed Data:
Temperature of the water = 31.6

C
Temperature of the room = 30

C
Mass of empty bucket = 0.7 kg

Diameter of the rotameter tube at lower end, D
1
= 1.5 inch
Diameter of the rotameter tube at upper end, D
2
= 2.0 inch
Total length of rotameter tube, L = 100 divisions
Maximum float diameter, D
f
= 1.5 inch
Volume of the float, V
f
= 1.077x10
-3
ft
3

Density of the float, S
f
= 486.93 lb
m
/ft
3


Table 1 : Observed data for rotameter and manometer reading
Number of
Observation
Weight of
Water +
Bucket
(Kg)
Rotameter
Reading
Time Interval
(S)
Manometer
Reading
(inch)
Left Right
1
0.9 10 10.7 14 13.6
2
3.2 20 9.8 14.3 13.3
3
4.4 30 9.9 14.5 13.2
4
5.7 40 9.3 14.6 13.1
5
7.1 50 9.7 14.8 13
6
8.7 60 10.5 15 12.9
7
9.7 70 9.9 15.2 12.8
8
10.9 80 10.1 15.5 12.7


5
Calculated Data:


Density of water at 30
0
C,
w
= 995.7 Kg/m
3

Viscosity of water at 30
0
C,
w
=7.98x10
-4
N.s/m
2
Specific weight of water at 30
0
C,
w
= 9.764 KN/m
3

Density of kerosene at 20
0
C,
k
= 808Kg/m
3

Viscosity of kerosene at 20
0
C,
k
= 19.2x10
-4
N.s/m
2
Density of mercury at 20
0
C,
m
=13550 kg/m
3

Table 2: Manometer Reading in SI Unit

Manometer Reading
(inch)
Difference in
Manometer Reading
(inch)
Difference in
Manometer Reading
(m) Left Column Right Column
14 13.6
0.4
010.0.0
14.3 13.3
1.0
0.0254
14.5 13.2
1.3
0100000
14.6 13.1
1.5
0.008.
14.8 13
1.8
0.04572
15 12.9
2.1
0105000
15.2 12.8
2.4
0.06096
15.5 12.7
2.8
0.07112





6

Table 3: Calculation of Equivalent Diameter, Volumetric Flow rate
and Pressure Drop








Mass
flow
rate of
water

(Kg/s)

Volumet
ric flow
rate
Q
w
10
4

(m
3
/s)
Diameter
of the
rotameter
at the
level of
float
D
t
10
3


(m)

Equivale
nt
diameter
D
eq
10
3


(m)

Annulus
Area
A
0
10
5


(m
2
)
Differenc
e in
Manome
ter
Reading

(m)
Velocity of
the flow


(m/s)
Head
Loss
H

(m)
0.01869 0.1877 39.4 1.3 319.0 010.0.0 0.0030
01.808
0.2551 2.562 40.64 2.54 .5 1 3. 0.0254 .100.
0.3737 3.753 41.9 3.8 001830 0100000 .1530
0.5376 5.399 43.2 5.1 001505 0.008. .1058
0.65979 6.626 44.05 6.4 0.1.09 0.04572 .1009
0.7619 7.652 45.7 7.62 50100 0105000 .15098
0.9091 9.13 46.9 8.89 581308 0.06096 .1550
1.0099 11.04 48.3 10.16 0910.0 0.07112 .1595


7

Table-4: Table showing Rotameter Coefficient for water and
kerosene (from graph), Reynolds No, Rotameter coefficient,
volumetric flow rate of Kerosene




Reynolds
No.

R
e




Rotameter
coefficient
for water,
C
w

(R
e
/C)
w
,
(for
Water)
(R
e
/C)
K
,
(for
Kerosene)
Rotameter
Coefficient for
Kerosene
(from graph),
C
K

Flow rate
of
Kerosene,
Q
K
10
4

(m
3
/sec)
384.71
01.050

003.183

5169.1
0180.. 000010.0 2278.1
0.91 3.047
7453.53
01800. 8979.0 3408.2
0.88 0.038
10550.7
018355 .005.10 4754.1
0.87 0.008
12848.8
018090 .5.0010 5740.04
0.86 3.505
14545.9
018038 .8000100 6834.24
0.859 9..53
17238.0
018000 0.003103 7973.3
0.85 .0.00
20219.6
018000 00008108 9112.32
0.848 .0.508




8
Sample Calcul ation:
Sample Calculation for Rotameter reading 20 (2
nd
Observation):
Diameter of the rotameter tube at upper end, D
2
= 2.0 inch
= 2.02.5410
-2
m
= 5.0810
-2
m
Maximum float diameter, D
f
= 1.5 inch
= 1.52.5410
-2
m
= 3.8110
-2
m
Density of the float,
3
3
3 3
f
m
Kg
7800
ft
m
3048 . 0
lb
Kg
4536 . 0
ft
lb
93 . 486
ft
lb
93 . 486 S =
|
.
|

\
|
= =
Area of the float,
( )
2 3
2
2
2
10 14 . 1
4
10 81 . 3
4
m
D
A
f
f

=

= =
t
t

Volume of float, V
f
= 1.07710
-3
ft
3
= (1.07710
-3
ft
3
) (0.3048m/ft)
3

= 3.0497210
-5
m
3

Maximum diameter of rotameter tube at the cross-section of the float,

( ) ( )
m
R
D D D D
f f t
3
2 2 2
2
10 64 . 40
100
20
10 81 . 3 10 08 . 5 10 81 . 3
100

=
+ = + =

Equivalent diameter, D
eq
= (D
t
- D
f
) = (4.06410
-2
- 3.8110
-2
)m = 2.5410
-3
m
Annulus cross-sectional area
( ) ( ) ( ) | |
2 4
2
2
2
2 2
f
2
t o
m 10 571 . 1 10 81 . 3 10 064 . 4
4

D D
4

A

= = =



9
Calculation of Rotameter co-efficient, C &R
e
/C (for water)
Mass of water and bucket = 3.2 kg
Mass of empty bucket = 0.7 kg
Mass of water = (3.2 0.7) = 2.5 kg
Time of taking water = 9.8 sec.
So, Mass flow rate of water =

= 0.2551 kg/sec

So, Volumetric flow rate of water, Q
w
=

= 2.562 X 10
-4
m
3
/sec
Pressure drop due to head loss of water,
H
W
=

= 0.1828 m
Rotameter co-efficient for water,
8611 . 0
1828 . 0 81 . 9 2 10 571 . 1
10 562 . 2
2
4
4
0
=


=
A
=

H g A
Q
C
w

Now, as H g D
C
R
eq
e
A = 2

013 . 6002
1828 . 0 81 . 9 2
10 98 . 7
7 . 995
10 54 . 2
2
4
3
=

=
A = |
.
|

\
|

w
w
w
eq
w
e
H g D
C
R

10
Velocity of fluid flow, v = Q
w
/A
0
= (2.562x10
-4
/15.71x10
-5
) m/sec

= 1.631 m/sec

Difference Of manometer reading, R = (14.3 13.3) inch
= 1.0 inch
=0.0254 m

Experimentally,
H
w
=

= 0.0254 X (

= 0.3203 m
Rotameter Co-efficient for water,
6505 . 0
3203 . 0 81 . 9 2 10 571 . 1
10 562 . 2
2
4
4
0
=


=
A
=

H g A
Q
C
w






11
Calculation of R
e

= (2.54X10
-3
X 1.631 X 995.7)/7.98X10
-4

= 5169.1
Calculation of Rotameter co-efficient, C &R
e
/C (for kerosene)
Pressure drop due to head loss of kerosene,
H
K
=

= 0.2315 m
1 . 2278
2315 . 0 81 . 9 2
10 2 . 19
808
10 54 . 2
2
4
3
=

=
A = |
.
|

\
|

k
k
k
eq
k
e
H g D
C
R

The value of rotameter efficient for Kerosene has to calculate from the Graph-1.
The value of Rotameter coefficient for Kerosene (C
k
) is 0.91 when R
e
/C = 2278.1.
Calculation of volumetric flow rate for kerosene (Qk):

w w
k k
w
k
H Q
H Q
C
C
A
A
=
w w
k k w
k
H C
H C Q
Q
A
A
=


1828 . 0 8611 . 0
2315 . 0 91 . 0 10 562 . 2
4

=


= 3.04710
-4
m
3
/s



12
Graphs:









0.8
0.81
0.82
0.83
0.84
0.85
0.86
0.87
0.88
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000
C
W

(R
e
/C)
w
Graprh 1: (Re/C)w vs Cw
Cw


13








0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
V
o
l
u
m
e
t
r
i
c

F
l
o
w

r
a
t
e
(
Q

x
1
0
4
)
(
m
3
/
s
)


Rotameter Reading (R)
Graph 2: Rotameter reading vs Volumetric Flow Rate
Flow Rate
of Water
Flow Rate
of Kerosene


14
Results:
The results of this experiment have been tabulated below with a comparison between
water and kerosene:
Table-4: Experimental pressure drop, Rotameter coefficients and the volumetric flow rates
for both water and kerosene.
Observati
on
number.

For Water For Kerosene
Pressure
Drop
H
(m)
Rotameter
Co-
efficient
(C
w
)
Volumetric
flow rate
Q10
4

(m
3
/s)

Rotameter
Coefficient
(from graph),
(C
K
)
Volumetric
Flow rate
Q
K
10
4

(m
3
/sec)
1
01.050

0.1877

010.0.0
2
0180.. 2.562
0.91 3.047
0.0254
3
01800. 3.753
0.88 0.038
0100000
4
018355 5.399
0.87 0.008
0.008.
5
018090 6.626
0.86 3.505
0.04572
6
018038 7.652
0.859 9..53
0105000
7
018000 9.13
0.85 .0.00
0.06096
8
018000 11.04
0.848 .0.508
0.07112











15

Discussion:
From theory we know that volumetric flow rate and Rotameter reading are
proportional to each other. When the curve for Volumetric flow rates, Q vs. Rotameter
readings, R was drawn for water and kerosene (Graph 2), both of the curves were linear, but
the straight line for kerosene was above the straight line for water, because the density of
kerosene is less than the water and the volumetric flow rate of kerosene for the same
Rotameter reading was larger than the flow rate of water.
The value of Rotameter coefficient C and the Re/C for water flow were plotted in a
graph paper (Graph 1). This curve has been found downward with negative slope.
Theoretically the curve is unique for a Rotameter for all the fluids. So the term C was also
calculated for kerosene from this curve using the value of Re/C.
In this experiment, the data observed gave quite accurate results, but some errors were
introduced in the results due to the following reasons:
- The manometer tube was between the two ends of rotameter in the pipe system.
Hence there might be a friction loss occur in the rotameter which was not counted in
our calculation. So discrepancies were found between theoretical head and
experimental head.

- The head losses for water and kerosene are theoretically constant values and were
found to be 0.1828m and 0.2315m. But practically the manometer readings were not
found a constant. This loss was occurred because of the friction of water with the
pipe surface, which was not smooth enough.

- Rotameter reading depends on gravitational force. So it is necessary to maintain the
vertical position of Rotameter. Due to the turbulent flow of water the vertical
position was distorted.

- The mass of the water collected in a bucket had been measured manually by a
simple weight machine. There might be some mistakes while we took the weight and
as a result it was not possible to get the accurate mass flow rate for each steady
flow.


- The apparatus that we used here mainly the pipe line is now in damaged condition
as these lines are used for so many times before. So the surface may be in rough


16
condition so the variation in the results came. It also contributed to the error in
calculating the Diameter of the pipe from standard references. This might be an
important reason for the discrepancy in our theoretical and experimental head
losses.

- The manometer readings taken may have been subjected to parallax error.

- The flow property could have changed due to the temperature change of water.
Though the initial temperature of the water was recorded, the final temperature was
not determined and as the result the temperature variation of different variables
remained unconsidered in the calculation.

- All the data were taken for short time period. Before reaching the steady state
another data was taken. This may caused some discrepancies.