University of Southern Philippines foundation.

College of Engineering and Architecture.

MECH 411- ME Lab 1.

Topic # 14. Calibration of volume tank, water meter, orifice, venture meter and
weir.

Tutor: Ma’am Nanette P. Dimagiba.

Name: Owia Jason.

1. Calibration of volume tank.
is the method by which the exact volume of your tank is calculated in line with specified
measurement standards. This process is key to obtaining accurate measurements of
quantity 
Measurements of the volume and height of liquid in a process accountancy tank are often
made in order to estimate or verify the tank's calibration or volume measurement equation.
The calibration equation relates the response of the tank's measurement system to some
independent measure of tank volume.
The ultimate purpose of the calibration exercise is to estimate
the tank's volume measurement equation (the inverse of the calibration equation), which
relates tank volume to measurement system response.
It is assumed that the primary measurement-system response variable is liquid height and
that the primary measure of liquid content is volume.
This procedures for standardizing a set of calibration data to a fixed set of reference
conditions so as to minimize the effect of variations in ambient conditions that occur during
the measurement process.
The procedures apply generally to measurements of liquid height and procedures may
apply specifically to tanks equipped with bubbler probe systems for measuring liquid content.
The standardization algorithms are applied when only estimates of ambient conditions, such
as temperature, are available.
However, the most reliable results are obtained when relevant ambient conditions are
measured for each measurement of volume and liquid height in a set of calibration data.
Information is provided on scope, physical principles, data required, calibration data,
dimensional changes in the tank, multiple calibration runs and results on
standardized calibration data

2. Calibration of water meter.

It consists of comparing the meter reading with the reading obtained from a standard of
higher accuracy than the test meter and with established uncertainty.
The standard may be a reference master meter or a complete test stand which themselves
are traceable back to more fundamental measures of mass, time and volume, usually held at
the National Measurement Institute (e.g NMIM-SIRIM)
Calibration is typically performed in a laboratory at several different flow rates and
sometimes at different densities or temperature. When a calibration is performed, the
meter's calibration factors are determined.

2.1 Purpose of Calibration Water Meter Calibration

“To ensure that the water meter is performing as designed and that it meets the necessary
performance requirements put in place by the national legal metrology organization”
Why Calibrate

• A water meter is subject to wear and deterioration and, over a period of time, loses its peak
efficiency
• Protect individual customer against over-registration
• Protect customers (as a group) against inequity of under-registration and higher water
rates
• Protect water utility from revenue loss caused by under-registratio

2.2. Characteristics
Accuracy - The closeness of the agreement between the result of a measurement and the
true value of the quantity being measured.
Repeatability - ability of a flowmeter to indicate the same reading each time the same flow
condition exist
Linearity - constancy of the meter factor over a specified flowrate range.
Rangeability - the ratio of the maximum to minimum flowrates specified by the meter’s
linearity. Rangeability is frequently termed as turndown ratio.
Resolution - measure of the smallest increment of total flow that can be individually
recognized
2.3. Calibration Equipment
• Test Bench – Single or multi-meter
• Reference Standard (Calibration Method) – Volumetric – Gravimetric – Reference Meter
• Water supply – Flow through – Re-circulating reservoir – Pump – Gravity feed
• Inlet valve
•Quick-acting valve on discharge side
•Flow regulating valve
•Device for determining flow rate
•Pressure gauge
•Temperature gauge
•High resolution test encoder

2.4. Some methods used in water meter calibrations.

Volumetric – Test Tank – Narrow-neck Prover
• Gravimetric
• Master or Reference Meter
• Displacement Prover – Piston Prover – Pipe Prover
• On-site or Portable Testing

3. Weir.
A weir is a small barrier built across a stream or river to raise the water level slightly on the
upstream side; essentially a small-scale dam. Weirs allow water to pool behind them, while
allowing water to flow steadily over top of the weir.[2] Additionally, the term weir can be used
to refer to the crest of a spillway on a large embankment dam.
Weirs can be constructed out of several different materials, depending on their age and
purpose. Wood, concrete,[3] or a mixture of rocks, gravel, and boulders can all be used to
construct a weir.[4]
In a weir, the surface over which the water flows is known as the crest. The flow of water that
moves overtop of this crest is known as the nappe, which is simply the water that makes it
overtop the weir. This nappe does not exist with dams, as dams permit no flow of water over
the structure. If this nappe falls a significant distance through the air - meaning that the weir
increases the elevation of the water prior to the weir - the weir is said to have free discharge.
However, if water flows partially underwater as a result of little elevation increase from the
weir it is said to be submerged or drowned
4. Orifice.
An orifice is any opening, mouth, hole or vent, as in a pipe, a plate, or a body

 Body orifice, any opening in the body of a human or animal

 Orifice plate, a restriction used to measure flow or to control pressure or flow, sometimes
given specialised names:
o Calibrated orifice, used to control pressure or flow
o Restrictive flow orifice, used to control flow

orifice meter is a conduit and a restriction to create a pressure drop. An hour glass is a form
of orifice. A nozzle, venturi or thin sharp edged orifice can be used as the flow restriction.
In order to use any of these devices for measurement it is necessary to empirically calibrate
them. That is, pass a known volume through the meter and note the reading in order to
provide a standard for measuring other quantities.

Due to the ease of duplicating and the simple construction, the thin sharp edged orifice has
been adopted as a standard and extensive calibration work has been done so that it is
widely accepted as a standard means of measuring fluids. Provided the standard mechanics
of construction are followed no further calibration is required.
An orifice in a pipeline is shown in figure with a manometer for measuring the drop in
pressure (differential) as the fluid passes through the orifice. The minimum cross sectional
area of the jet is known as the “vena-contracta.”

The orifice plate bore can be made in many configurations to handle various flow

measurement jobs. The flowing conditions should be checked to see which of the
configurations is suitable for each measurement job.
a. The Thin Plate, Concentric Orifice

b. Eccentric Orifice Plates

c. Segmental Orifice Plates

d. Quadrant Edge Plate

.e. Conic Edge Plate

General Installation Recommendations

1. Meter manifold piping should always be installed to enable calibration as well as to

protect the differential element against over range.
2. The meter should be installed as close as possible to the orifice fitting.
3. Always slope the manifold lines gently from the orifice fitting to the meter to eliminate
any high or low points in the manifold lines.
4. Use condensate chambers or air traps to remove either liquid from a gas system or
gas from a liquid system if lows or highs in the manifold piping cannot be avoided.
It is important when pressurizing or depressurizing differential measuring devices to apply or
release pressure to or from the high and low meter chambers uniformly, so as not to impose
excessive over range.
5.Ventury Meter
In order to calibrate flow meters specifically the venturi and orifice flow meters, a known
volume of fluid is used to pass to measure the rate of flow of the fluid through the pipe
Therefore here is a experiment.

Title.
Calibration of venturi meter.
II. Theory.
Venturi Meter is a device that is used for measuring the rate of flow of fluid through a
pipeline. The basic principle on which a Venturi Meter works is that by reducing the cross –
sectional area of the flow passage, a pressure difference is created between the inlet and
throat & the measurement of the pressure difference enables the determination of the
discharge through the pipe.

III. Objectives
Calibration of Venturi meter different flow rate.

 Determination of Co-efficient of Discharge through Venturi meter

IV. Apparatus .
Venturi meter

 1000 ml graduated cylinder

 Stopwatch

 Caliper
V. Procedure
1. Fill in the sump tank with clean water.
2. Keep the delivery valve closed and manometer valve at open open position.
3. Connect the power cable to 1Ph, 220V, 10 Amps with earth connection.
4. Switch on the pump & open the delivery valve.
5. Open the corresponding Ball valve of the Venturi or Orifice meter pipeline.
6. Adjust the flow through the control valve of the pump.
7. Open the corresponding Ball valves fitted to Venturi or Orifice tappings.
8. Note down the differential head reading in the Manometer. (Expel if any air is the by
opening the drain cocks provided with the Manometer.)
9. Operate the Butterfly valve to note down the collecting tank reading against the known
time and keep it open when the readings are not taken.
10. Change the flow rate and repeat the experiment.

VI. Findings.
VII. Observations.
I have observed that sometimes the calibrations of instructments are slightly different from
actual record.

VIII. Conclusion.
The inlet section of the Venturi Meter is of the same diameter as that of the pipe, which is
followed by a convergent one. The convergent cone is a short pipe, which tapers from the
original size of the pipe to that of the throat of the Venturi Meter. The throat of the Venturi
Meter is a short parallel side tube having its cross – sectional area smaller than that of the
pipe. The divergent cone of the Venturi Meter is a gradually diverging pipe with its cross –
sectional area increasing from that of the throat to the original size of the pipe. At the inlet
and the throat, of the Venturi Meter, pressure taps are provided through pressure rings.