Name: Hia Jing

Matric Number: A0087309X

Group: 2H2


Objectives

This experiment is prepared for students taking ME2134 - Fluid Mechanics I with the following objectives:

a) To become familiar with several types of flow measuring devices, such as the Venturi meter, orifice meter and rotameter.

b) To determine the coefficient of discharge, C
d
, for the Venturi meter and orifice meter, and to calibrate the rotameter.

c) To determine the energy losses in the Venturi meter, orifice meter, rotameter, as well as the wide angle diffuser and the 90
o
elbow, and to estimate
pressure drops or losses for the above-mentioned devices.

Table 1: Raw Data Sheet

Diameters
Trial
No.
Manometer Reading
Rotameter
Reading
Weight
(kg)
Time (s)
A B C D E F G H I
D
A
= D
C
= 26 1 5.0 15.26
D
B
= 16 323 195 299 306 313 166 193 162 51 159 10.0 30.41
D
D
= D
E
= D
G
= 51 2 5.0 17.14
D
H
= D
I
= 26 302 200 281 287 292 177 198 173 64 139 10.0 34.24
3 5.0 19.98
Areas 280 205 264 269 271 186 202 185 79 119 10.0 39.86
A
C
= 531 4 5.0 23.08
A
B
= 201 265 207 251 255 257 194 205 192 90 99 10.0 45.83
A
D
= A
G
= 2040 5 5.0 27.76
A
F
= 314 250 211 240 242 244 200 209 200 98 78 10.0 55.75
A
H
= 531 6 5.0 33.84
239 213 231 234 234 207 211 205 104 58 10.0 68.89

Table 2: Processed Data Sheet 1


Trial
No.


Rotameter
Reading
(mm)


Q
A

(mm
3
/s)

Q
T

Venturi
(mm
3
/s)


'
Q
T

Orifice
(mm
3
/s)

Venturi
Loss
AH
V

(mm)

Orifice
Loss
AH
O
(mm)

Diffuser
Loss
AH
D
(mm)

Elbow
Loss
AH
E
(mm)


Rotameter Loss
AH
R
(mm)

1 159 3.28 10
5
3.44 10
5
5.40 10
5
24 9.28 10
1
1.11 10
1
1.29 10
1
1.11 10
2

2 139 2.92 10
5
3.07 10
5
4.77 10
5
21 7.19 10
1
8.37 1.06 10
1
1.09 10
2

3 119 2.51 10
5
2.63 10
5
4.10 10
5
16 5.32 10
1
5.62 6.38 1.06 10
2

4 99 2.17 10
5
2.32 10
5
3.53 10
5
14 3.92 10
1
3.94 5.06 1.02 10
2

5 78 1.80 10
5
1.90 10
5
2.95 10
5
10 2.76 10
1
3.46 3.54 1.02 10
2

6 58 1.46 10
5
1.55 10
5
2.31 10
5
8 1.62 10
1
5.92 10
-1
2.41 1.01 10
2


Table 3:
Processed data sheet 2 (See SUMMARY OF EQUATIONS on Page 17)
Estimation of loss factors

Trial
No
Actual
flow
Q
A
(mm
3
/s)

Veloc
ity
V
B

(mm/
s)
Reynolds
No
N
RB


Velocit
y
V
C

(mm/s)
Reynol
ds
No
N
RC


Velocity
V
O

(mm/s)
Reynold
s
No
N
RO


Velocity
V
H

(mm/s)
Reynold
s
No
N
RH


Loss
Factor
K
V


Loss
Factor
K
O


Loss
Factor
K
D


Loss
Factor
K
R


Loss
Factor
K
E



Rem
arks
1
3.28
10
5

1.63
10
3

3.22 10
4
6.18
10
2

1.98
10
4

1.04
10
3

2.56
10
4

6.18
10
2

1.98
10
4

1.77
10
-1

1.68 5.70
10
-1

5.70 6.63 10
-1

2
2.92
10
5

1.45
10
3

2.86 10
4
5.50
10
2

1.76
10
4

9.30
10
2

2.29
10
4

5.50
10
2

1.76
10
4

1.96
10
-1

1.63 5.27
10
-1

7.07 6.88 10
-1

3
2.51
10
5

1.25
10
3

2.47 10
4
4.73
10
2

1.52
10
4

7.99
10
2

1.97
10
4

4.73
10
2

1.52
10
4

2.01
10
-1

1.63 4.93
10
-1

9.30 5.59 10
-1

4
2.17
10
5

1.08
10
3

2.13 10
4
4.09
10
2

1.31
10
4

6.91
10
2

1.70
10
4

4.09
10
2

1.31
10
4

2.35
10
-1

1.61 4.62
10
-1

1.20
10
1

5.93 10
-1

5
1.80
10
5

8.96
10
2

1.77 10
4
3.39
10
2

1.09
10
4

5.73
10
2

1.41
10
4

3.39
10
2

1.09
10
4

2.44
10
-1

1.65 3.91
10
-1

1.74
10
1

6.04 10
-1

6
1.46
10
5

7.26
10
2

1.43 10
4
2.75
10
2

8.82
10
3

4.65
10
2

1.15
10
4

2.75
10
2

8.82
10
3

2.98
10
-1

1.47 1.54
10
-1

2.62
10
1

1.54 10
-1



Temperature of water = 29.5c Reynolds No. N
VD
R
=
v

Kinematic Viscosity of water v = 8.11 10
-1
mm
2
/s




Question 2



Cd = 0.9641

Question 3


y = 0.9641x - 0.039
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
0 1 2 3 4
Q
T

1
0
5

(
m
m
3
/
s
)



Q
A
10
5
(mm
3
/s)
Graph of Q
T
vs Q
A

Graph of Q_A vs Q_T
Linear (Graph of Q_A vs Q_T)
y = 0.5958x + 0.0668
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Q
'
T

1
0
5

(
m
m
3
/
s
)



Q
A
10
5
(mm
3
/s)
Graph of Q'
T
vs Q
A

Graph of Q_A vs Q'_T
Linear (Graph of Q_A vs Q'_T)
C=0.5958
Cd= 0.600 ( using equation 5)

Question 4



Question 5


y = 0.0183x + 0.7344
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
0 50 100 150
Q
A

1
0
5

(
m
m
3
/
s

L (mm)
Graph of Q_A vs L
Linear (Graph of Q_A vs L)
y = 9.0046x - 5.7209 (H_V)
y = 41.475x - 47.592 (H_O)
y = 5.394x - 7.1982 (H_D)
y = 5.8854x - 7.055 (H_E)
y = 5.8764x + 91.318 (H_R)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
A
H
V

A
H
O

A
H
D

A
H
E

A
H
R



(
m
m
)

Q
A
10
5
(mm
3
/s)
H_V
H_O
H_D
H_E
H_R
Linear (H_V)
Linear (H_V)
Linear (H_D)
Linear (H_E)
Linear (H_E)
Linear (H_R)
Question 6



Question 7

Sample Calculation for Trial 1:

Average Mass Rate = = ( m
1
/t
1
+ m
2
/t
2
)

/2 = (5/15.26 + 10/30.41)/2 = 3.28 x 10
-1
kg
-1
s
Q
A
= v = 3.28 x 10
-1
x (1 x 10
6
) = 3.28 x 10
5
mm
3
s
-1

2
1
2
B A
*
B
*
A
A T
1 ) /A (A
) h g(h 2
A Q
(

= = (531)[2(9.81x10
3
)(323-195)/(531/201)
2
-1)]
0.5
= 3.44 x 10
5
mm
3
s
-1
C = Q
A
/ Q
T
= 3.28 x 10
5
/ 5.40 x 10
5
= 6.07 x 10
-1

2
1
2
E O
*
F
*
E
O T
) /A (A 1
) h g(h 2
A Q'
(

= = (314)[2(9.81x10
3
)(313-166)/(1-(314/2040)
2
]
0.5
= 5.40 x 10
5
mm
3
s
-1

*
C
*
A V
h h H = A = 323 299 = 24 mm
( )( )
2 *
F
*
E O
C 1 h h H = A = (313 166 )(1- 6.07 x 10
-1
) = 9.28 x 10
1
mm
( )
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ = A
2
D
2
C
2
A *
D
*
C D
A
1
A
1
g 2
Q
h h H = (299-306) + [(3.28 x 10
-1
)
2
/2(9.81x10
3
)](1/531
2
1/2040
2
)
= 1.11 x 10
1
mm
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
L
o
s
s

F
a
c
t
o
r

Reynold Number 10
4

K_V vs N_RB
K_O vs N_RO
K_D vs N_RC
K_R vs N_RH
K_E vs N_RC
Linear (K_V vs N_RB)
Linear (K_O vs N_RO)
Linear (K_D vs N_RC)
Linear (K_R vs N_RH)
Linear (K_E vs N_RC)
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ = A
2
H
2
G
2
A *
H
*
G E
A
1
A
1
2g
Q
) h h ( H
= (193-162) + [(3.28 x 10
-1
)
2
/2(9.81x10
3
)](1/2040
2
1/531
2
)
= 1.29 x 10
1
mm
*
I
*
H R
h h H = A = 162 51 = 1.11 x 10
2
mm
B
A
B
A
Q
V = = 3.28 x 10
5
/201 = 1.63 x 10
3
mms
-1
v
B B
RB
D V
N = = (3.28 x 10
5
)(16)/8.11x10
-1
) = 3.22 x 10
4

C
A
C
A
Q
V = = 3.28 x 10
5
/531 = 6.18 x 10
2
mms
-1

v
C C
RC
D V
N = = (6.18 x 10
2
)(26)/

(8.11x10
-1
) = 1.98 x 10
4

O
A
O
A
Q
V = = .28 x 10
5
/314 = 1.04 x 10
2
mms
-1

v
O O
RO
D V
N = = (1.04 x 10
2
)(20)/(8.11x10
-1
) = 2.56 x 10
4

H
A
H
A
Q
V = = .28 x 10
5
/531 = 6.18 x 10
2
mms
-1

v
H H
RH
D V
N = = = (6.18 x 10
2
)(26)/(8.11x10
-1
) = 1.98 x 10
4

) g 2 / (V
H
K
2
B
V
V
A
= = 24/ [(1.63 x 10
3
)
2
/ 2(9.81x10
3
)]
) g 2 / (V
H
K
2
O
O
O
A
= = 9.28 x 10
1
/ [(1.04 x 10
2
)
2
/ 2(9.81x10
3
)]
) g 2 / (V
H
K
2
C
D
D
A
= = 1.11 x 10
1
/ [(6.18 x 10
2
)
2
/ 2(9.81x10
3
)]
) g 2 / (V
H
K
2
H
R
R
A
= = 1.11 x 10
2
/ [(6.18 x 10
2
)
2
/ 2(9.81x10
3
)]
) g 2 / (V
H
K
2
C
E
E
A
= = 1.29 x 10
1
/ [(6.18 x 10
2
)/ 2(9.81x10
3
)]

Discussion

Question 1:
Comment on the relative advantages and disadvantages of Venturi meter, orifice platemeter and rotameter as flow
measuring devices.

Venturi Meter

Advantages: It has a wide range of flow and has better accuracy than the other devices as more pressure can be
sustained.

Disadvantages: It is expensive and difficult to maintain as it is rather heavy. It is also bulky so it can be quite
inconvenient.

Orifice Meter

Advantages: It has a wide range of flow and it is easy to maintain to maintain due to its small size.

Disadvantages: It is not very accurate as pressure is not sustained.

Rotameter

Advantages: It is accurate as pressure is sustained and it is also cheap.

Disadvantages: It needs to be calibrated according to different fluids. Also, it has a limited usage as it must be
aligned vertically with the fluids at all times. Therefore, some energy is lost, resulting in a high loss factor.

Question 2:
Comment on the head losses associated with all the flow meters studied in this experiment, emphasizing the
relationship between mechanism of loss generation and its magnitude.

Rotameter

The rotameter has the largest head loss of all the flow meters. This is due to the fluid consuming energy by moving
against gravity. Also, energy is lost through friction between the fluid and the walls of the rotameter. The head loss
of the rotameter is relatively stable, given by the low gradient of the H
R
against Q
A
graph.

Orifice Meter

The head loss of the orifice meter is relatively high, although lower than the head loss for the
rotameter. However, the head loss increases with the flow rate, as shown in the high gradient of
the H
O
against Q
A
graph. This shows that the energy loss increases with the flow rate.

Venturi Meter

The head loss of the venturi meter is low. Also, the gradient of the Hv against Q
A
is low. This is because the meter
does not cause much deviation to the flow rate.

Question 3:
Explain with the aid of simple sketches what is the vena contractor of an orifice meter?



As the fluid flows through the meter, the fluid diameter contracts. The vena contractor is the point where the fluid
flow diameter is the smallest due to the orifice meter. Before the flow diameter expands in its stream again.

Question 7:
Comment on the limitations and major sources of error in this experiment.

Limitations:

- High flow rates cannot be measured in this experiment as it would result in large head
losses in the rotameter and the orifice meter
- Fluids with high viscosity cannot be used as friction between the fluids and the tubes will
result in large head losses in the meters

Sources of errors:

- Parallax error from reading off the manometer and the rotameter
- The meniscus is not very visible due to the clear form of the fluid
- Fluctuations of the fluid causes it to be difficult to read off the manometer
- Human reaction error may occur when taking timings for the water to be collected
- Changes in the motor that powers the pump may affect the readings on the manometer
and rotameter

Conclusion

This experiment familiarizes us to the workings of the flow measuring devices and to determine the head loss
of each device. Through the head loss, it allows us to determine the advantages and disadvantages of the
devices. It also allows us to develop a better understanding of the devices to determine whether they are
appropriate to measure different kinds of fluids.