PITOT TUBE

Name : M.Husnain

REG # : 2018-CH-14

Session : 2k18-Chemical

Submitted To: Mr. Usman

What is Pitot Tube

 Basically, a pitot tube is used in wind tunnel experiments

and on airplanes to measure flow speed.
 It's a slender tube that has two holes on it. The front hole is
placed in the airstream to measure what's called the
stagnation pressure.
 The side hole measures the static pressure.
 By measuring the difference between these pressures, you
get the dynamic pressure, which can be used to calculate
airspeed.
 On an airplane, the pitot tube can be mounted in a number
of ways, including jutting out from the edge of the wing or
sticking up from the fuselage.
How pitot tube works?
 Pitot tubes were invented by Henri Pitot in 1732 to measure the flowing liquid or air velocity. Basically a differential
pressure (d/p) flowmeter, a pitot tube measures two pressures: the static and the total impact pressure.

 The static pressure is the operating pressure in the pipe, duct, or the environment, upstream to the pitot tube. It is
measured at right angles to the flow direction, preferably in a low turbulence location (Figure 2-9).

The total impact pressure (PT) is the sum of the static and kinetic pressures and is detected as the flowing stream
impacts on the pitot opening.

 To measure impact pressure, most pitot tubes use a small, sometimes L-shaped tube, with the opening directly facing
the oncoming flowstream.

 The point velocity of approach (VP) can be calculated by taking the square root of the difference between the total
pressure (PT) and the static pressure (P) and multiplying that by the C/D ratio, where C is a dimensional constant and
D is density:

Vp = C(PT - P)½/D
When the flowrate is obtained by multiplying the point velocity (VP) by the cross-sectional area of the pipe or duct, it
is critical that the velocity measurement be made at an insertion depth which corresponds to the average velocity.
 As the flow velocity rises, the velocity profile in the pipe changes from elongated (laminar) to more flat (turbulent).
This changes the point of average velocity and requires an adjustment of the insertion depth.

 Pitot tubes are recommended only for highly turbulent flows (Reynolds Numbers > 20,000) and, under these
conditions, the velocity profile tends to be flat enough so that the insertion depth is not critical.
TYPES OF PITOT TUBE
1. Simple pitot tube
2. Static source
3. Pitot-static tube
Applications of Pitot Tube

• It is used to measure speed of an aircraft

• It is used to measure speed of a boat
• It is used to measure fluid flows in different industries
• It is used where very high accuracy is not required
• It is used to measure flow profile in a duct

Advantages of Pitot Tube

• It is easy and economical to install and remove

• It has no moving parts which helps in minimizing frictional losses
• It is small in size
• It is low in cost
• It causes very less pressure loss
LIMITATIONS OR DISADVANTAGES OF
PITOT TUBE

• Any foreign material in flow, can change the accurate

reading.
• Its accuracy is not that good
• It has low range ability
• It has low sensitivity
• It works better in high velocity flow
• A change in velocity profile can cause significant changes in
readings
• It cannot be used with dirty fluids
• Its sensitivity gets disturbed by flow direction