DETERMINATION OF AIR FLOW IN THE CHANNEL

Nur Sabrina Nor Jaeman, Muhamad Aznan Mahamod, Siti Nur Aida Damanhuri, Siti Nur Aisyah Mohamad
Othman, Siti Nur Amalina Mohd Sabli.
Department of Biology and Agricultural Engineering, University Putra Malaysia.
Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.

ABSTRACT

This experiment is conducted to determine the effect of pressure on the air flow in a channel
by using the air flow demonstration unit. The velocity of the air inside the channel is
measured using hot wire anemometer and venturi flow rate. The fan performance in
controlling the flow of the air inside the air flow demonstration unit is also determined. The
variable used in this experiment is the opening size of the air flow demonstration unit. At the
end of the experiment, the flow rate of the air inside the demonstration unit and the
performance of the fan is determined, presented and further discussed in the discussion part in
this report.

Keywords: hot wire anemometer, venturi flow rate meter, air flow, fan performance,

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Air is needed in certain operation of processing agricultural product such as drying operation,
and cold storage operation. Air also is needed in the cooling system of air conditioner in a
building for human comforts. Fan is one of the components in air control system as it is
needed for the movement of air flow in the system. The fan can perform optimally depending
on the pressure that need to be overcome in the system. Some of parameter such as the total
pressure in the system, total static pressure, velocity pressure, energy used by the fan and also
the efficiency of the fan is used to determine the performance of an air control system. In this
experiment, students need to know the function of the apparatus uses in the experiment and
the method used to measure all the parameter listed above to conduct the experiment.

A venturi meter is essentially a short pipe consisting of two conical parts with a short portion
of uniform cross-section in between. This short portion has the minimum area and is known
as the throat. The two conical portions have the same base diameter, but one is having a
shorter length with a larger cone angle while the other is having a larger length with a smaller
cone angle. The venturi meter is always used in a way that the upstream part of the flow takes
place through the short conical portion while the downstream part of the flow through the
long one. This ensures a rapid converging passage and a gradual diverging passage in the
direction of flow to avoid the loss of energy due to separation. In course of a flow through the
converging part, the velocity increases in the direction of flow according to the principle of
continuity, while the pressure decreases according to Bernoulli’s theorem. The velocity
reaches its maximum value and pressure reaches its minimum value at the throat.
Subsequently, a decrease in the velocity and an increase in the pressure takes place in course
of flow through the divergent part. Thermal anemometry is the most common method used to
measure instantaneous fluid velocity. The technique depends on the convective heat loss to
the surrounding fluid from an electrically heated sensing element or probe. If only the fluid
velocity varies, then the heat loss can be interpreted as a measure of that variable.

Hot-wire anemometer sensors are, as the name implies, made from short lengths of resistance
wire and are circular in section. Hot-film sensors consist of a thin layer of conducting material
that has been deposited on a non-conducting substrate. Hot-film sensors may also be
cylindrical but may also take other forms, such as those that are flush-mounted. Thermal
anemometry enjoys its popularity because the technique involves the use of very small probes
that offer very high spatial resolution and excellent frequency response characteristics. The
basic principles of the technique are relatively straightforward and the probes are difficult to
damage if reasonable care is taken. Most sensors are operated in the constant temperature
mode. Hot-wire anemometers have been used for many years in the study of laminar,
transitional and turbulent boundary layer flows and much of our current understanding of the
physics of boundary layer transition has come solely from hot-wire measurements. Thermal
anemometers are also ideally suited to the measurement of unsteady flows such as those that
arise behind rotating blade rows when the flow is viewed in the stationary frame of reference.
By a transformation of co-ordinates, the time-history of the flow behind a rotor can be
converted into a pitch-wise variation in the relative frame so that it is possible to determine
the structure of the rotor relative exit flow. Until the advent of laser anemometry or rotating
frame instrumentation, this was the only available technique for the acquisition of rotating
frame data.

The Bernoulli equation demonstrates the law of conservation of energy, stating that the total
internal, potential and kinetic energy (all together termed as mechanical energy) along a
streamline remains constant. It was discovered by a famous Mathematician, Daniel Bernoulli,
while he was conducting experiments to investigate the conservation of energy. This equation
can be derived from either Newton’s second law or by using the law of conservation of
energy.

In this experiment, the flow of air in a pipe is measured using both a Pitot tube and a venturi.
The results from both methods are analysed to work out the difference. As an outcome of this
experiment, one should observe that as the velocity increases, the pressure of the fluid should
decrease, according to the Bernoulli equation. Firstly, we should consider the assumptions
that are made when constructing the Bernoulli equation, where both points under
consideration lie on a streamline, must be a steady and incompressible flow. The viscous
effects are negligible and there are no temperature changes are taking place.

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

2.1. Apparatus

The apparatus that have been used in this experiment are air flow demonstration unit,
venturi meter, hot wire anemometer, pitot static tube and tachometer as shown in
Figure 2.1.

2.2 Methods

2.2.1 Measurement of Air Flow Velocity

Firstly, the outlet of the air flow demonstration unit is opened to measure the
maximum of air flow velocity by using pitot static tube, venturi meter and hot wire
anemometer. The reading of air flow rate from the venturi meter (in mm) air is taken
and the speed of the fan motor is measured using tachometer in meter per second. The
experiment is repeated by testing different percentage of fan speed control (25%, 50%,
75% and 100%). It is adjusted by turning the cover of the outlet of the air flow
demonstration unit. After that, the hot wire anemometer is set to take the measurement
of air flow rate (in meter per second) for the five percentage of fan speed control (0%,
25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) is taken.
 a) air flow demonstration unit b) hot wire anemometer

c) venturi meter d) tachometer

Figure 2.1: Apparatus to measure air flow in channel

2.2.2 Effect of Changes of Air Flow on Fan Performance

The measurement for air flow velocity is only measured by hot wire anemometer and
meter venture. The air flow demonstration unit is adjusted at each level from fully
opened until it fully closed to get the changes in velocity of air flow.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This experiment is about determination of air flow in the channel using the velocity
measurement of the average value of air and the effect of changes in airflow on fan
performance. Air is needed in several operational processing of agricultural products, which is
the operation of drying and cold storage operations. Air cooling system is also necessary in
building a building space for human comfort.

The fan is a key component in the air handling system because the fan is required for the
movement of air in the system to specific channels. Use perfect fan is subjected to load only
one form of pressure that must be overcome by the respective fan. Here are the details needed
to evaluate an air handling system:
 - amount of pressure
- static pressure
- velocity pressure
- the energy consumed by the fan
- efficiency fan

From the experiment, the turning cover of the outlet of the air flow demonstration unit is
adjusted with different percentage of speed control which are 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%
to measure the reading of air flow rate from the venturi meter, velocity of air according to hot-
wire anemometer method, and the speed of the fan motor is measured using tachometer.

Based on the result, it shows that when the outlet of the air flow demonstration unit is
fully closed the speed of the fan motor is 1500.3 rpm with torque 4.773074666Nm while
when the air flow demonstration unit is fully open at 100% the speed of the fan motor was
read 1496.3 rpm with torque 4.785834339. It shows that, for fully closed, the horsepower is
1.363, while for fully opened the horsepower is 1.364. There is no such a different due to the
the instrument for hot wire anemometer got problem. So, the objective of this lab just want
student to get familiar with the flow of the lab.

For the velocity, it clearly shows that, when the air flow demonstration unit is fully closed
the velocity of air according to the venture method is zero. It is measured by the head of water
in mm. while when the air flow demonstration unit is fully open at 100% the head of water is
31mm, the velocity for the air is 26.02 m/s. It shows the highest velocity obtained throughout
the different percentage of air flow demonstration unit and same when using the anemometer
method.

The constant parameters in this lab are voltage, electricity and the electrical power. Below
are the table result for the velocity of air according to venturi method, velocity of Air
according to hot-wire anemometer method and result obtained for the torque value based on
the speed of the fan motor that measured in rpm.
 Table 1 : Velocity of air according to venturi method

No Head (mm water) Head (m) Velocity (m/s)

1 31 24.31372549 26.05447233
2 28 21.96078431 24.76169961
3 24 18.82352941 22.9248792
4 14 10.98039216 17.5091657
5 0 0 0

Table 2 : Velocity of Air according to Hot-Wire Anemometer method

No Velocity (m/s)
1 32
2 30
3 28
4 20

5 0.2

Speed rev per minute,N Torque, T (Nm) Voltage, E Electricity, I Electrical Power,
of fan (rpm) (V) (A) EP (W)
(%)
100 1496.3 4.785834339 415 2.8 750
75 1496.8 4.78423565 415 2.8 750
50 1500.7 4.77180244 415 2.8 750
25 1497.8 4.781041475 415 2.8 750
`0 1500.3 4.773074666 415 2.8 750
4. CONCLUSION

As a conclusion, the lab is about the determination of air flow in the channel using the
velocity measurement of the average value of air and the effect of changes in airflow on fan
performance. In this experiment, the result obtained was almost the same for the speed of the
fan motor that measured in rpm and the torque get are mostly same due to the error in the
instrument, where the condition of the instrument is too old. The only result obtained only for
the velocity of the air according to venture method and anemometer. At the end of the lab, the
objectives that achieved are students able to get familiar with the flow of the lab.

5. REFERENCES

1. M. Fernandino, T.Ytrehus (2006). International Journal of Multiphase flow. Retrieved

from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301932206000164

6. APPENDIX

Sample Calculation

H = PVLCT*10^-3*( ρwater/ ρair)

Head (m) = 31*10^-3*(1000/1.275)
= 24.31372549 m

Velocit(V), m/s = (a2/SQRT((a1)^2-(a2)^2))*(SQRT(2*(g)*(H)))

V = (34.5/SQRT((47.5)^2-(34.5)^2))*(SQRT(2*(9.806)*(31)))
= 26.05447233 m/s

Torque (T) ,Nm = (EP*60)/(2*3.142*N)

T = (750*60)/(2*3.142*1496.3)
= 4.785834339 Nm