APPARATUS

Figure 3.1 shows the arrangement of the Venturi meter which is manufactured in clear plastic
material. Water is transferred from the bench supply valve and passed into the meter through
a flexible hose. Beyond the control valve, which is mounted just downstream of the meter, a
further flexible hose head leads to the measuring tank. The piezometer tapings in the wall of
the Venturi tube are connected to vertical manometer tubes, mounted in front of the scale
marked in millimeters (mm). The manometer tubes are connected at their top end to a
common manifold, in which a small air valve at one end may control the amount of air. The
whole assembly is supported on a base mounted on adjusting screws which serve to level the
equipment.

Manifold Air valve

Manometer tube

h1

h2

To measuring tank
From supply

Control valve

Figure 3.1 Arrangement for Venturi Meter Apparatus

PROCEDURE
1. The apparatus was leveled by opening the hydraulic bench supply valve and control valve
downstream of the meter. Water was allowed to flow freely for a moment in order to clear
air bubbles from the supply hose.
2. The control valve was gradually closed, caused increasing pressure in the Venturi tube
and subjected the water in the tube to be risen.
3. When the water level had ascended to a convenient height, the bench valve was closed to
make sure that both valves were totally shut off. The meter was left containing static
water at moderate pressure which the water level stands at a convenient height.
4. The next step was operating the adjusting screw to obtain identical readings for all of the
tubes across the manometer board. The board should be reasonably vertical when the
readings were viewed from the end.
5. Measurements were made from a set of differential heads, h 1 h2 as well as the flow
rates, Q. The first reading was taken with the maximum value of h1 and h2 with h1 close to
the top of the scale and h2 near to the bottom. This condition was acquired by gradually
opening bench valve.

6. The collections of 15 kg water in the weighing tank were timed to attain the rate of flow
after values of h1 and h2 were recorded in the data sheet.
7. Similar readings were taken over a series of reducing values of h 1 for roughly 10mm. A
total of 15 readings were sufficed.
8. Formulae that were used in the computation of the results were:

Q=C A 2
2 g ( h1h 2)
1( A2 / A1 )
2