* Objects:

1) To determine the coefficient (c) of a Venturi Meter by

comparing the measured flow rate that enters the tank with the
ideal flow rate.

2) To measure the pressure distribution along the meter and

compare it with the ideal pressure distribution.

3) To show the difference of the pressure recovery between the

three types of flow meters: Orifice meter, Venturi meter and flow
nozzle.

4) To determine and compare the head losses associated with

each meter, and to determine the head losses arising in arapid
enlargement and a 90-degree elbow.

* Background:

For the three kind of flow meter we can describe:

1) Orifice meters:

 Inexpensive
 Easy to install
 Large pressure losses

2) Venturi meters:

 High accuracy
 Expensive to construct
 Good pressure recovery

3) Flow Nozzles:

 Difficult to install properly

 High accuracy
 Good pressure recovery

1
 * Apparatus:

1) Water pumping table with a weighing device to find the

mass rate of flow.

2) A pipe flow contain the three kind of flow meter, include a

Venturi, orifice & nozzle meter. And a 90-degree elbow in the end
of pipe then the Rotometer.

3) A manometer tubes linked to the pipe in a specific place

along the pipe as shown in the figure below.(fig.1)

4) The tubes subjected to a sheet scale to calculate the

pressure drop in each place.

5) A Reservoir with an air valve to remove the air from the

manometric tubing by flexing it.

6) A stop watch.

Fig. 1
(a) (b)

2
 * Experimental Procedure:

The flow pipe connected to the hydraulic bench water supply and
the control valve is adjusted until the rotameter is about at a
mid(referance) position in it’s calibrated tapered tube. The air is
removed and the pressure within the manometer reservoir is now
varied and the flow rate decreased until, with no flow, the manometric
height in all tubes is about 280 mm. The apparatus can be levelled and
the level checked by comparing the manometric heights when no water
flow.
Firstly, open the outlet valve to full position to permit highest flow
rate.
Next, read and record the manometeric highs (scales) in all tubes.(from
A to H).
Measuring the flow rate by timing the collection of a known quantity
of water in the bench-weighing tank.
Then, reduce the flow rate by partially closing the outlet valve and
repeat the measuring process to a t least 10 times. Between time and
another decrease the scale of the rotameter by 3cm.

Take the time very carefully in each test, and notice that the time must
increase each time we reduce the flow rate for the same weight.

* Results & calculation:

Theory:

List of symbols:

W = weight of water (kg)

T = time of collect (sec)
g = gravity (m/s)
ρ = density of water = 1000

3
 C = correction coefficient
Q = volume flow rate (m³/s)
A = cross section area (m²)

The orifice, nozzle and venturi flow rate meters use the Bernoulli
Equation to calculate the fluid flow rate by using the pressure difference
between an obstruction in the flow.
In flow metering devices based on the Bernoulli Equation the
downstream pressure after an obstruction will be lower than the upstream
pressure before the obstruction.
To understand orifice, nozzle and venturi meters it's necessary to explore
the Bernoulli Equation:

The experimental volume flow rate:

Q exp = W = M (m³/s)
ρgt ρt

Bernoulli equation:

P1 + ρgh 1 + ½ ρV1² = p n + ρghn + ½ ρVn²

Continuity equation:

A1 V1 = An Vn = Q = Q ideal

Manometer equation:

P1 + ρgh1 = P1' + ρgh1'

Discharge factor ( c):

Q exp
C = ──────
Q ideal

4
The experiment Data was taken:

Time Rota. H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7 H8
(s) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) ( m)
1:33:5 27 270 245 250 255 245 245 245 145
0:50: 53 265 245 260 260 240 343 242 143
03
0:18: 75 275 240 270 270 230 235 235 140
76
0:20: 110 290 255 275 270 260 250 240 135
0
0:15: 160 250 200 240 270 220 190 190 80
4

Sample calculation: Test (1):

Qexp = m = 6 = 0.45524 *10‾³ m³/s

ρt 1000*13.18

A) For Venturi Meter:

Fig. 2

A1, A2 is the cross section area from at the inlet and throat valve
respectively.A1 =π/4(0.026)² A2 = π/4(0.016)² h1(A)= 0.37 h2(B)=
0.15 g = 9.81

5
 -4
Q ideal = 5.29687 * 10 m³/s

B) For Nozzle:

Fig. 3

A1, A2 is the cross section area from at the inlet and throat valve
respectively.A2 =π/4(0.026)² A1 = π/4(0.051)² h1©= 0.345 h2(D)=
0.355 g = 9.81
-4
Q ideal = 1.1293 * 10 m³/s

C) For orifice:

Fig. 4

6
 A1, A2 is the cross section area from at the inlet and throat valve
respectively.A1 =π/4(0.020)² A2 = π/4(0.051)² h1(E)= 0.370 h2(F)=
0.170 g = 9.81
-4
Q ideal = 5.05037 * 10 m³/s

Calculated results:

Time (s) Q(exp) Venturi (m3/s) Nozzle (m3/s) Orifice (m3/s)

(m3/s)
13.18 0.000455235 0.000529687 0.000112930 0.000505037
15.68 0.000382653 0.000465621 0.000112930 0.000430023
19.28 0.000311203 0.000391200 0.000079853 0.000365934
23.00 0.000260870 0.001059374 0.000079853 0.000303022
30.06 0.000199601 0.000798533 0.000079853 0.000236883
38.06 0.000157646 0.000618541 0.000079853 0.000195600
60.69 0.000098863 0.000465621 0.000050504 0.000123708

H1-H2 (m) H3-H4 (m) H6-H5 (m) H8-h7 (m) Rotameter (m)
0.220 0.010 0.200 0.055 0.21
0.170 0.010 0.145 0.043 0.18
0.120 0.005 0.105 0.030 0.15
0.880 0.005 0.072 0.023 0.12
0.500 0.005 0.044 0.015 0.09
0.300 0.005 0.030 0.010 0.06
0.170 0.002 0.012 0.005 0.03
Table (2)

Discharge factor (c)

Venturi Nozzle Orifice
5.00E-04
Q(exp) m3/s

4.00E-04

3.00E-04

2.00E-04

1.00E-04

0.00E+00
0.00E+00 2.00E-04 4.00E-04 6.00E-04 8.00E-04 1.00E-03 1.20E-03

Q(ideal) m3/s

Fig. 5

7
 Prenciple of the rotameter

2.50E-01
rotameter scale

2.00E-01

1.50E-01
(m)

1.00E-01

5.00E-02

0.00E+00
0.00E+00 1.00E-04 2.00E-04 3.00E-04 4.00E-04 5.00E-04

mass flow rate kg/s

8
*Discussion:

The types of meters used for measuring water flow are: Venturi
meters (Fig.2), Orifice meters (Fig.3) and flow Nozzles (Fig.4). The most
common used in municipal service are Venturi tubes. Although the
Orifice meters are inexpensive and easy to install, it have a large pressure
losses receptively with the Venturi meters. The Flow Nozzles difficult to
install but it have a high accuracy and a good pressure recovery.

In beginning of Bernoulli’s equation for the laminar flow, we can

calculate the pressure difference from the wide and narrow regions.
Firstly ,we find the volume flow rate in two ways experimentally and
ideal from the equations.
As shown in (Fig.5) the correction coefficient (discharge factor C ) can
found by find the slope of three curves. Note: in Venturi curve we have
an experiment error in the fourth scale the data must be smaller than the
previous one because of the pressure losses through the tube.

The slope in the Nozzle goes to C=1, because it hase a good pressure
recovery and high accuracy. But the slope in Orifice is very less than 1
that make the Orifice has a large pressure losses.

As shown in Fig.6 (the principle of the Rotameter: this is also called a

float meter. It consists of a vertical, slightly conical tube with aball or
other freely movable object inside.) the relation is almost goes linear
between the scale and the measured mass flow rate, that give a sense to
the accuracy of the measured value of the mass flow rate.
The basic equation for area flow meters has a general form for the
expression of mass flow rate:
_______
m˙ = (a² - 1) C √2gAFρ

To minimize the errors in a flow metering system, all components within

the system should be calibrated and evaluated separately. The installation,
piping and primary elements should be internally inspected, maintained
and cleaned regularly to minimize errors due to sediment, growths, and
wear (friction loss). The primary element operating error can be
established for use in calculating system error. Hydraulic sense lines

9
should be inspected and cleaned or flushed regularly to emove gas or
sediment buildup.

* Conclusion:

There are many types of meter used for measuring water flow.
The most common, high accuracy, good pressure recovery one is the
Venture meter. The orifice meter is inexpensive and easy to install but it
has large pressure losses. Bernoulli’s equation techniques only work if
the flow is not turbulent (Laminar flow).
We have some errors in a flow metering system.
Calibration and accuracy is a concept that is frequently used in relation to
measuring instruments.

10
 ‫بسم اهلل الرمحن الرحيم‬

‫االسم ‪ :‬غيث حممد إبراهيم الشياب‬

‫‪20070025101‬‬

‫‪12/10/2011‬‬

‫‪EXP # 2‬‬

‫‪Flow Measuring Apparatus‬‬

‫د ‪ .‬عدنان خضري‬

‫‪11‬‬