VENTURI TUBE

The venturi tube shown in Figure is similar to an orifice meter, but it is designed to nearly eliminate boundary layer separation, and thus form drag. The change in crosssectional area in the venturi tube causes a pressure change between the convergent section and the throat, and the flow rate can be determined from this pressure drop. Although more expensive that an orifice plate; the venturi tube introduces substantially lower non-recoverable pressure drops.

Figure 2. Venturi flow meter

The differential producing flowmeter or Venturi has a long history of uses in many applications. Due to its simplicity and dependability, the Venturi is among the most common flowmeters. With no moving parts or abrupt flow restrictions, the Venturi can measure fluid flowrates with a minimal total pressure loss. The principle behind the operation of the Venturi flowmeter is the Bernoulli effect. The Venturi measures a fluid's flowrate by reducing the cross sectional flow area in the flow path and generating a pressure difference. After the pressure difference is generated, the fluid is passed through a pressure recovery exit section where up to 80% of the differential pressure generated at the throat is recovered. The pressure differential follows Bernoulli's Equation.

Bernoulli's Equation:

The Venturi Principle

In the illustration above, the fluid, either liquid or gaseous, enters the Venturi at the location with a cross-sectional area A1, pressure P1, and velocity v1. These properties form the potential and kinetic energy of the fluid at one location. Energy is conserved in a closed system, that is, the sum of potential and kinetic energy at one location must equal the sum of the potential and kinetic energy at any another location in the system. If potential energy decreases at one location, the kinetic energy must proportionally increase at that location. The fluid now enters the throat of the Venturi with a new area A2, which is smaller than A1. In a closed system mass can be neither created nor destroyed (law of conservation of mass, simply, what goes in, must come out), and as such, the volumetric flowrate at area A1 must equal the volumetric flowrate at area A2. If the area at location A2 is smaller than A1, the fluid must travel faster to maintain the same volumetric flowrate. This increase in velocity results in a decrease in pressure which follows Bernoulli's equation. The result: by knowing the pressure and cross-

sectional area at two locations, one can calculate the velocity of the fluid. With the velocity of the fluid and its density, one can calculate the flowrate.

A Venturi requires two pressure and one temperature measurement to accurately determine flow. The first pressure is measured at the Venturi's upstream location, P1. This is used for the density calculation and the high side input to the differential pressure measurement. The Venturi Flowmeter

The second pressure is measured at the Venturi's throat, P2. This is connected to the low side of the differential pressure gauge to form the P pressure measurement. The temperature reading is taken several pipe diameters in length upstream of the Venturi so as not to disrupt the uniform flow profile.

Calculation of Flow Rate: As long as the fluid speed is sufficiently subsonic (V < mach 0.3), the incompressible Bernoulli's equation describes the flow. Applying this equation to a streamline traveling down the axis of the horizontal tube gives,

From continuity, the throat velocity Vb can be substituted out of the above equation to give,

Solving for the upstream velocity Va and multiplying by the cross-sectional area Aa gives the volumetric flowrate Q,

Ideal fluids would obey the above equation. The small amounts of energy converted into heat within viscous boundary layers tend to lower the actual velocity of real fluids somewhat. A discharge coefficient C is typically introduced to account for the viscosity of fluids,

C is found to depend on the Reynolds Number of the flow, and usually lies between 0.90 and 0.98 for smoothly tapering venturis. The mass flowrate can be found by multiplying Q with the fluid density,

Venturi Effect: The Venturi effect is the phenomenon that occurs when a fluid that is flowing through a pipe is forced through a narrow section, resulting in a pressure decrease and a velocity increase. The effect is mathematically described through the Bernoulli equation and can be observed in both nature and industry. Many industry applications rely on this effect as they need to be able to predict a fluids reaction when flowing through constricted piping. How does the Venturi Effect Work? The Venturi effect is similar to a jet effect, which is similar to the feeling one gets when the thumb is placed at the end of a garden hose with the water turned on. The waters velocity increases when the thumb is placed over the water. The pressure increases over the smaller surface area, however, the narrow flow then creates a vacuum in the water. The fluids kinetic energy increase results in a pressure decrease, which the physics laws governing fluid dynamics explain. When the fluid reaches a choked flow point, the mass flow decreases, resulting in a decrease in downstream pressure. Bernoullis equation can be used to calculate the theoretical pressure drop in a system that experiences the Venturi effect. The equation is as follows: P/2(V(ending)^2 V(initial)^2, where P = fluid density. The formula assumes that the fluid being measured cannot be compressed and maintains a consistent density.

Who Discovered the Venturi Effect? The Venturi effect was named after Italian physicist, Giovanni Battista Venturi, who lived from 1746-1822. Venturi was ordained as a priest in 1769 and was a student of Lazzaro Spallanzani. He is not only given credit for the effects discovery, but is also credited with the inventions of the Venturi pump and tube. He later compiled and published many of Gailileos manuscripts and letters after being brought to Leonardo Da Vincis attention. Venturi Effect Uses Many aquariums use power heads that include adjustable Venturi devices that consist of a tube that connects a water outlet with an adjustable air valve. The Venturi effect causes air to be pulled in through a short hose and mixed with the water that the aquariums pump uses in order to aerate the water. Carburetors, Venturi meters, water aspirators, cargo eductors, water evacuation from ship bilges, atomizers, foam

firefighting nozzles, and protein skimmers are some of the Venturi effects commercial applications in society today. Simple Ways to Demonstrate the Venturi Effect The easiest way to demonstrate the Venturi effect is by squeezing and releasing a flexible hose while fluid is flowing through it. A partial vacuum will be created in the hose to keep it collapsed. Another way is by placing fluid in a u-shaped tube and connecting each end of a Venturi tube. As the fluid flows through the tube, the pressure in each of the two ends will vary, forcing the fluid to collect at the tubes low pressure side.

Recovery of Pressure Drop in Orifices, Nozzles and Venturi Meters

After the pressure difference has been generated in the differential pressure flow meter, the fluid pass through the pressure recovery exit section, where the differential pressure generated at the constricted area is partly recovered.