| UiTMBB | CHE241: Fluid Mechanics & Equipment |

|Tutorial Chapter 6: Flowmeter |

GENERAL

Q1. The flow rate of fluid can be measured using flow meters that apply the principle of differential pressure
method.
i. Describe how the principle of pressure is used to measure the fluid flow rate.
ii. List three (3) flow meters that use the principle of differential pressure.

ORIFICE

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Q1. Glycerin flows steadily in a horizontal 40 mm diameter pipe at a rate of 3.5 x 10 m /s. An orifice is used
to measure the flow rate. The differential pressure across the orifice is 31.2 kPa. The coefficient of
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contraction is assumed to be 0.88 and the density of glycerin is 1260 kg/m .
i. Sketch and label a diagram to represent the above setup.
ii. Determine the diameter of the orifice, d.

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Q2. An orifice with a 5 cm diameter opening is used to measure the mass flow rate of water (ρ = 998 kg/m
-3 -1 -1
and μ = 1.002 x 10 kgm s ) through a horizontal 12 cm diameter pipe. A mercury manometer (SG = 13.6)
is used to measure the pressure difference across the orifice. If the differential height of the manometer is
read to be 15 cm, determine the volume flow rate of water through the pipe and the average velocity in the
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pipe. Given Cd = 0.61. (Ans: Qact=7.4 x 10 m /s, Uave=0.66 m/s)

12cm 5cm

15cm

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Q3. Water flows steadily in a horizontal 50 mm diameter pipe at a rate of 1.9 x 10 m s . An orifice is used
to measure the flowrate. The differential pressure across the orifice is 16.4 kPa. The contraction coefficient
-3
is assumed to be 0.63 and the density of water is 998 kgm . Determine the diameter of the orifice hole, d.
(Ans: d=25.7 mm)

50 mm

A horizontal pipe equipped with an orifice

Q4. A U-tube mercury manometer and an orifice plate are applied in measurement of weight of oil flowing
through a pipe in an offshore production system. The difference in the mercury levels in the two legs is 60
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mm. The oil density is 800 kg/m3 , and mercury density is 13.56x10 kg/m3 .

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 | UiTMBB | CHE241: Fluid Mechanics & Equipment |
|Tutorial Chapter 6: Flowmeter |
PITOT TUBE

Q1. Explain the following terns with an aid of diagram:

i) Stagnation point
ii) Dynamic pressure

Q2. A piezometer and a pitot tube are tapped into a horizontal pipe that transporting water as shown in
Figure 1.
i) Identify the stagnation point at Figure 1.
ii) By comparing point 1 and 2, identify the point that will have a higher pressure. State your
reason.
iii) By using Bernoulli equation, derive an equation for the pressure at point 2 and name the
pressure terms involved.

Figure 1: A piezometer and a pitot tube tapped into a pipe

Q3. A group of young researcher in ABC University was required to design an apparatus to measure velocity
of air in a pipe. The following setup apparatus, as illustrated by Figure 5 was sketched by one of the
researchers.
i) Sketch the appropriate levels of the manometric fluid in the U-tube manometer. Justify your
answer.
ii) Identify the stagnation point, static pressure and dynamic pressure in the figure.

Figure 2: A setup to measure velocity of air

Q4. A pitot tube is inserted in and air flow to measure the flow speed as shown in Figure 3. The tube is
inserted so that ist points upstream into the flow and the pressure sensed by the tube is the stagnation
pressure. The static pressure is measured at the same location in the flow, using wall pressure tap. If the
pressure difference is 30 mm of mercury, determine the velocity of the air flow. Given the density of air and
-3 -3
mercury are 1.23 kgm and 13600 kgm .

Figure 3: A pitot tube

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 | UiTMBB | CHE241: Fluid Mechanics & Equipment |
|Tutorial Chapter 6: Flowmeter |
VENTURI METER

Q1. There are a few types of devices that have been developed to measure fluid velocity and its flow rate
according to Bernoulli equation principle. The orifice and venturimeter are the examples. In a table, compare
these measuring devices with respect to its cost, head loss and accuracy.

Q2. Air is flowing through horizontal venture meter whose diameter is 6.5 cm at the entrance (location 1) and
4.5 cm at the throat (location 2). The gauge pressure is measured to be 84 kPa at the entrance and 80 kPa
at the throat.
i) Neglecting frictional effect, show that the volume flowrate, Q can be expressed by the equation
shown below.
ii) Determine the volume flow rate of air. Given coefficient of the discharge, Cd is 0.98 and the air
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density is 1.2 kgm . (Ans: 0.145 m /s)

Q3. A venturi meter is to fitted in a horizontal pipe of 0.15 m diameter to measure a flow of water which may
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be anything up to 240m /hour. The pressure head at the inlet for this flow is 18 m above atmospheric and
the pressure head at the throat must not be lowered than 7 m below atmospheric. Between the inlet and the
throat there is an estimated frictional loss of 10% of the difference in pressure head between these points.
Calculate the minimum allowable diameter for the throat. (Ans: 0.063 m)

A Venturimeter

Q4. Two tubes are attached to a horizontal venturimeter as shown in the figure. The fluid levels at Tube 1
and Tube 2 are 0.4 m and 0.25 m, respectively. The fluid that flows through the venture meter has specific
gravity of 0.912.

i) Calculate the absolute and gauge pressure at point 1 and 2. (Ans: 3578.7Pa, 103561.7Pa)
ii) Compute the discharge through the contraction when diameter at point 1 and point 2 are 0.2 m
and 0.1 m, respectively.