Expt. No.

05
DETERMINATION OF THE COEFFICIENT OF DISCHARGE OF VENTURI
FLUME

Aim
To determine the coefficient of discharge of a Venturi Flume
Equipments
Open channel, scale, stop-watch, weights, venture flume
Procedure
1. The channel is first set to mild slope of about1/ 500 by using screw jack.
2. The slope is checked using the depth gauge to establish the change of depth over 4 m
length with static water retained in the channel.
3. The Venturiflume, comprising two trapezoidal liners which fit to the sides of the channel,
is to be fitted at a station approximately 2 m upstream of the outlet from the channel.
4. Measure the width of the channel and of the throat of the flume using internal calipers and
a steel rule.
5. Water is admitted to the channel by opening the control.
6. Measure the upstream depth with conditions of supercritical flow downstream of the
throat. The depth gauge is to be placed at a point 0.3 m upstream.
7. The discharge is then measured by noting down the time and the volume of a known
weight of water.
8. Reduce the flow in steps and record the discharge and the depth at each stage.

Theory:
Figure below indicates flow through the Venturi flume, with subcritical conditions upstream.
In the contracting section the flow accelerates to the critical condition which occurs in the
throat and downstream of the throat the acceleration continues in supercritical flow.
Discontinuities occur in the surface slope, as indicated by the dotted lines on the figure, but in
practice, however the water surface falls smoothly through the flume.

1
To obtain the expression for discharge Q in terms of specific energy, we note that the critical
condition at the throat gives,
3
E= y ------------- (1)
2 c
Since, the value of the Froude number at the throat is unity
Vc 2
=1 ---------------- (2)
g yc
The discharge through the flume is given in terms of the velocity V c and area Bcyc at the
throat by
Q= Bc y c V c -------------- (3)
From these three equations, we find after a little reduction
3
2E
Q= Bc√ g { }
3
2
-------------------------- (4)

Now inserting a discharge co-efficient C to take account of the reduction in Q due to

frictional losses,

2
 3
2E
Q=CB c√ g { }
3
2
-------------------- (5)

Plot the following:

i) Discharge-upstream head curve of Venturiflume, by plotting upstream head y (mm)
vs Q(litre/ sec).
ii) Discharge- specific energy curve of Venturiflume, by plotting specific energy (mm)
vs Q(litre/ sec).
Observation Table
Width of channel upstream of flume B = 75mm
Width of Venturi flume throat BC = 50 mm

Sl Depth Time (sec) Discharge Velocity Specific Coefficient

No. upstream (m) (t) Q(m3/sec) Upstream Energy E of
(y) (m/sec) (m) discharge
C
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Sample Calculation

Discussion