UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
MECHANICAL AND PRODUCTION ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT
E443 Beng(Hons.) Mechanical Engineering (Minor:
Energy Systems)

MECH 2014Y
Fluid Mechanics
Experiment 1: To verify Bernoullis Principle

1. BADULLA Muhammad Twaaha

(1311150)

-Date of Experiment: 6 March 2015

- Date Submitted: 15 March 2015

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION
2. OBJECTIVES

3. APPARATUS USED

4. PROCEDURES 4
5. THEORY 5
6. RESULTS 7
7. ANALYSIS

7.1 Graphs of average deflection against load plotted for each beam and gradient tabulated
8
3
7.2 Graph of gradient obtained in part (1) against 1/t plotted for three steel beams 13

7.3 Graph of gradient obtained in part (1) against 1/ E for three beams of thickness 6mm
plotted 13
7.4 Transverse stiffness of the beams

16

8. CONCLUSION 16
8.1 Transverse stiffness of the beams

16

8.2 Sources of errors and Precaution to be taken 16

9. REFERENCES 17

To verify Bernoullis Principle

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1. INTRODUCTION
In fluid dynamics, Bernoulli's principle states that for an inviscid flow of a non-conducting fluid,
an increase in the speed of the fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in pressure or a
decrease in the fluid's potential energy. Bernoulli's principle can be applied to various types of
fluid flow, resulting in what is loosely denoted as Bernoulli's equation. In fact, there are different
forms of the Bernoulli equation for different types of flow. The simple form of Bernoulli's
principle is valid for incompressible flows (e.g. most liquid flows and gases moving at low Mach
number). More advanced forms may in some cases be applied to compressible flows at
higher Mach numbers

2. OBJECTIVES
To verify the equation
2

P V
+ =c
W 2g

(1)

Where:
P

: Pressure
V

: Velocity

W : Work done by the fluid per unit mass

g

: Acceleration due to gravity

: Constant

P
W

: Pressure head

V2
2g

: Velocity head

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3. APPARATUS USED
A Bernoulli theorem apparatus was used to carry out the experiment.

Figure 1: Bernoulli theorem apparatus

2: Tube manometers (Static pressures)
3: Water supply
4: Valve
5: Venturi nozzle
6: Water outlet
7: Valve for water outlet
8: Pitot tube
9: Single tube manometer (Total pressure)

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4. METHODOLOGY
4.1 PROCEDURES

Tube manometers
displaying static
pressures

To collecting
vessel
From perspex
tank

Figure 3: Bernoullis theorem apparatus

1. The experiment is carried out by allowing water to flow in the Perspex tank and the outflow
is adjusted so that the water levels in the piezometers are steady.
2. Water is allowed to flow into the collecting tank for a time, t, seconds and the height, h is
recorded in the tank.
3. The velocity, V, of flow at any section is then obtained by dividing equation (2)
A1

h
t

A2

(2)

Where:
A 1: Area of the collecting vessel
A 2: Area of converging tube

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h: Height
t: time

The cross-sectional areas at the various piezometers are given below:

Table 1: Area of converging tube
Piezometer No.

Area of converging

300

275

250

225

200

175

150

tube(mm2)

5. THEORY
The Bernoulli Equation can be considered to be a statement of the conservation of energy
principle appropriate for flowing fluids. The qualitative behavior that is usually labeled with the
term "Bernoulli effect" is the lowering of fluid pressure in regions where the flow velocity is
increased. This lowering of pressure in a constriction of a flow path may seem counterintuitive,
but seems less so when you consider pressure to be energy density. In the high velocity flow
through the constriction, kinetic energy must increase at the expense of pressure energy.
Energy per unit volume before = Energy per unit volume after
1
1
P1+ V 12 + g h1=P2 + V 22+ gh 2
2
2

(3)

Where:
P

: Pressure

: Density

: Velocity

: Height

1
2
V 1
2
g h2

: Kinetic energy

: Potential energy

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Figure 4: Venturi nozzle

6. RESULTS AND CALCULATIONS

Table 2: Data for height, volume, time and discharge
Experiment Number

Height h/ mm

Volume V/

Time t/s

Discharge Q/

mm3 s1

mm
1

60

5472240

76.20

71814.2

100

9120400

88.72

102800.0

80

7296320

79.41

91881.6

90

8208360

87.18

94154.2

Table 3: Piezometer reading

Piezometer reading,

Piezometer number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

144
142
138
136
134
130
128

P
W

/mm

400
398
394
390
388
384
376

358
356
354
350
348
340
334

The velocity, V/mms-1 is obtained using equation (2) and recorded in the table below.
Table 4: Data for height 60mm
Section
number

P
W

/mm

V/mms-1

V2
2 g /mm

P
W

V2
2g

/mm

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144

2362.204724

284404.2384

284548.2384

142

2576.950608

338464.5482

338606.5482

138

2834.645669

409542.1034

409680.1034

136

3149.606299

505607.5351

505743.5351

134

3543.307087

639909.5368

640043.5368

130

4049.493813

835800.2111

835930.2111

128

4724.409449

1137616.954

1137744.954

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7. GRAPHS
7.1 Part 1
The following graphs were plotted using data from Table 4

Graph of Pressure head against section number

150

145

140

Pressure head/mm

135

130

125

120

Section number

Graph 1
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Graph of velocity head against section number

1200000

1000000

800000

Velocity head/ mm

600000

400000

200000

S ection number

Graph 2

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Graph of the sum of Pressure head and Velocity head

1200000

1000000

800000

Pressure head + Velocity head /mm

600000

400000

200000

Section number

Graph 3
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7.2 Part 2
Table 5: Data for height 100mm
P
W /

V
2g

P V2
+ / m
W 2g

Section
number

mm

V/mms-1

`1

400

3381.424707

582774.3654

583174.3654

398

3688.826953

693549.658

693947.658

394

4057.709648

839195.086

839589.086

390

4508.566278

1036043.317

1036433.317

388

5072.13706

1311242.322

1311630.322

384

5796.728069

1712643.033

1713027.033

376

6762.849414

2331097.462

2331473.462

/mm

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The following graphs were plotted using data from Table 5.

Graph of Pressure head against section number

405
400
395
390
385

Pressure head/mm
380
375
370
365
360

Section number

Graph 4
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Graph of velocity head against section number

2500000

2000000

1500000

Velocity head/mm
1000000

500000

Section number

Graph 5

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Graph of the sum of the Pressure head and the Velocity head
2500000

2000000

1500000

Pressure head + velocity head/mm

1000000

500000

Section number

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Graph 6

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7.3 Part 3
Table 6: Data for height 80mm
P
W

V2
2g

P
W

V2
2g

Section
number

/mm

V /mms-1

358

3022.289384

465557.2437

465915.2437

356

3297.042965

554051.5958

554407.5958

354

3626.747261

670402.431

670756.431

350

4029.719179

827657.3222

828007.3222

348

4533.434076

1047503.798

1047851.798

340

5181.067516

1368168.226

1368508.226

334

6044.578768

1862228.975

1862562.975

/mm

/mm

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The following graphs were plotted using data from Table 6

Graph of Pressure head against section number

360

355

350

345

Pressure head/mm

340

335

330

325

320

Section number

Graph 7
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Graph of Velocity head against section number

2000000
1800000
1600000
1400000
1200000

Velocity head/mm

1000000
800000
600000
400000
200000
0

Section number

Graph 8
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Graph of the sum of the Pressure head and the Velocity head
2000000
1800000
1600000
1400000
1200000

Pressure head + Velocity head/mm

1000000
800000
600000
400000
200000
0

Section number

Graph 9
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8. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

ANALYSIS OF GRAPHS
Graph of P/W (mm) against Length of passage
For all the 4 sets of reading, the 3 graphs obtained are curve in shape with a
decreasing gradient. Lets take for example the 1st set of reading, from
Bernouillis principle, the increase in velocity results in a decrease in pressure
thus the reading on piezometer along length of passage decreases.

Graph of V2/2g (mm) against Length of passage

Here all the 3 graphs are curve in shape with an increasing gradient. Again for
example we take 1st set of reading, if the reading on piezometer decreases along
the length of passage, this means that the head loss along length of passage is
increasing along length of passage.

Graph of P/W + V2/2g (mm) against Length of passage

All the graphs obtained here are straight lines with zero gradient. This shows that
the graphs obey Bernouillis principle , by adding height of piezometer P/W to
head loss V2/2g a constant value is be obtained. By looking at the readings on the
table, the value of P/W + V2/2g varies a bit and on plotting the graph, a line of
best fit is drawn through these values eventually we have a horizontal line i.e.
constant value of P/W + V2/2g.
The differences between values are due to the energy lost when the fluid moves out of the
piezometer.

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9. REFERENCES
University of Colorado Boulder. (n.d.)Bernoullis principle: Second-Order
Method. [Online] Available from:
http://www.colorado.edu/engineering/CAS/courses.d/Structures.d/IAST.Lect10.
d/IAST.Lect10.pdf
[Accessed: 11th June 2012].
Dublin City University. (n.d.) SM104 Bernoulli theorem Apparatus. [Online]
Available from:
http://www.dcu.ie/sites/default/files/mechanical_engineering/pdfs/manuals/Be
am%20Apparatus%28a%29.pdf
[Accessed: 11th June 2012].
Free study. (n.d.) Bernoulli Equations. [Online] Available from:
http://www.freestudy.co.uk/statics/beams/beam%20tut3.pdf
[Accessed: 12th June 2012].

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