Experiment # 01

To determine flow rate of fluid by using Venturi meter on a Compressible

Flow Bench Apparatus.
I. Objectives:
 To study about venturi meter & flow rate through venturimeter
 To study about Bernoulli’s equation
 To study relationship between Q & RPM and Q & √𝑯
II. Apparatus required:
 Venturi meter
 Compressor
 Tachometer
 Stopwatch
 U-tube manometer
 Compressible Flow Bench Apparatus
III. Theoretical Background:
We must find the flow rate of a compressible fluid for which we connected a venturi meter to a
differential manometer. Venturi meter can be explained as follows:
 VENTURI-METER:
Venturi meter are the flow measuring instruments which use a covering section of pipe to give an
increase in the flow velocity and a corresponding pressure drop from which the flow rate can be
reduced.
Parts of a Venturi meter:
There are three main parts of a Venturi meter;
1. A short converging part: It is that portion of the venturi where the fluid gets converges.
2. Throat: It is the portion that lies in between the converging and diverging part of the venturi.
The cross section of the throat is much less than the cross section of the converging and
diverging parts. As the fluid enters in the throat, its velocity increases and pressure decreases.
3. Diverging part: It is the portion of the venturi meter (venturi) where the fluid gets diverges.

 Working of venturi meter:

The working of venturi meter is based on the principle of Bernoulli’s equation.

Bernoulli’s Statement: It states that in a steady, ideal flow of an incompressible fluid, the
total energy at any point of the fluid is constant. The total energy consists of pressure energy,
kinetic energy and potential energy or datum energy.
Mathematically
 Here all the energies are taken per unit weight of the fluid.
The Bernoulli’s equation for the fluid passing through the section 1 and 2 are given by

Construction:
The construction of venturi meter is shown below:
It has three main parts

Working:
The venturi meter is used to measure the rate of flow of a fluid flowing through the pipes. Let’s
understand how it does this measurement step by step.
 Here we have considered two cross section, first at the inlet and the second one is at the throat.
The difference in the pressure heads of these two sections is used to calculate the rate of flow
through venturi meter.
 As the water enters at the inlet section i.e. in the converging part it converges and reaches to the
throat.
 The throat has the uniform cross section area and least cross section area in the venturi meter. As
the water enters in the throat its velocity gets increases and due to increase in the velocity the
pressure drops to the minimum.
 Now there is a pressure difference of the fluid at the two sections. At the section 1(i.e. at the
inlet) the pressure of the fluid is maximum, and the velocity is minimum. And at the section 2 (at
the throat) the velocity of the fluid is maximum, and the pressure is minimum.
 The pressure difference at the two section can be seen in the manometer attached at both the
section.
 This pressure difference is used to calculate the rate flow of a fluid flowing through a pipe.
Expression for the rate of flow through Venturi meter:
Considered a venturi meter is fitted to a horizontal pipe through which fluid (water) is flowing as
shown in the figure given below.

Let d1, p1, v1 & a1, are the diameter at the inlet, pressure at the inlet, velocity at the inlet and
area at the cross section 1.
And d2, p2, v2 and a2 are the corresponding values at section 2.
Applying Bernoulli’s equation at sections 1 and 2

As the pipe is horizontal, so z1 = z2

Therefore

(P1 – P2)/ρg is the difference of pressure heads at section 1 and 2 and it is equal to h. so
Substituting this value of h in equation (1), we get

Now applying continuity equation at section 1 and 2

Substituting this value of v1 in equation (2) and solving, we get

Discharge

Substituting value of v2 in above equation

All the terms are constant so, Q would be equals to:

𝑄 = 𝐾√𝐻
a1 a2 √2g
𝐾=
√a1 2 − a2 2
mm5/2
K = 1008.34 sec

The units of Q are 𝒎𝒎𝟑 /𝒔𝒆𝒄. Which is the flow rate of the fluid and k being constant whose
value would be equals to
Q is the theoretical discharge under ideal conditions. Actual discharge will be less than the
theoretical discharge. The actual discharge is given by the formula

Where Cd is the coefficient of venturi meter and its value is less than 1.
 Tachometer:
A tachometer (revolution-counter, tach, rev-counter, RPM gauge) is an instrument measuring the
rotation speed of a shaft or disk, as in a motor or other machine in RPM.
Types of Tachometer:
i) Contact Tachometer
ii) Non-contact Tachometer
Contact Tachometer:
Contact tachometers work by placing a freely spinning wheel in direct contact with a rotating
shaft or disc. The tachometer measures the rate at which light pulses are reflected to
the tachometer which is proportional to the rotating speed of the shaft or disc.
Non-contact Tachometer:
A non touch laser tachometer generally uses infrared light to measure the speed of rotation of a
shaft or wheel or any other rotating object. ... The infrared light from them tachometer falls on
the surface and gets reflected back to the detector on the tachometer.
 Differential Manometer:
A differential manometer is a device that measures the difference in pressure between two
places. Differential manometers can range from devices simple enough to be built at home to
complex digital equipment.
Use:
Differential manometers have a wide range of uses in different disciplines. One example is that
they can be used to measure the flow dynamics of a gas by comparing the pressure at different
points in the pipe.
Function:
Standard manometers are used to measure the pressure in a container by comparing it to
normal atmospheric pressure. Differential manometers are also used to compare the pressure of
two different containers. They reveal both which containers has greater pressure and how large
the difference between the two is.
IV. Apparatus Diagram:
 V. Procedure of the experiment:
 First, we set the apparatus on the working table.
 Then provided the pump with the electrical supply.
 A speed regulator was attached to the compressor.
 Set the regulator at low speed firstly.
 When the motor begins to run smoothly noted manometer reading.
 Noted the difference of pressure in both limbs of differential manometer as pressure head H.
 Use tachometer to measure RPM.
 We used contact type tachometer in our experiment.
 We connected it directly with the shaft of the compressor.
 Noted revolutions for 1 minute and taken it as RPM.
 Increased the speed of the compressor.
 Then take all the readings again for the second time.
 In this way we calculated 5 to 6 readings.
 Tabulated all the observed & calculated data in our observation table.
 Make two graphs in the end.
i) Q vs RPM
ii) Q vs √𝑯

Observations & Calculations:

Sr. No. Speed H √𝑯 Q = K√𝑯

(RPM) (mm) (mm1/2) (mm3/sec)
1 1005 15 3.87 39029.17
2 1270 30 5.48 55266.12
3 1466 38 6.16 62123.96
4 1669 45 6.70 67569.89
5 1905 60 7.75 78159.20
6 2150 80 8.94 90160.42

VI. Comments/Conclusion:
In this lab we have studied about the apparatus like compressor, tachometer, compressible flow
bench apparatus and the venturi meter. We have studied about construction & working of the
venturi meter.
This lab/experiment also explains the working principle of the venturi meter & the tachometer.
We learnt about the relationship between Q & RPM and Q & √𝐻 by plotting graphs between
them.

 Graphs: