EXPERIMENT 1

DETERMINATION OF FLOW RATE USING HYDRAULICS BENCH

CORPUZ, PRINCESS SOPHIA N.

2110677
CE31S5- 2
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Flow Rate using Hydraulics Bench

Introduction:

A fundamental area of research in engineering and physics called fluid mechanics examines how
fluids—which include both liquids and gases—behave in diverse situations. The volume of fluid traveling
through a certain place in a system per unit of time is represented by this fundamental fluid mechanics quantity.
How much liquid moves through a space at one time is called the flow rate of a liquid. Both velocity and cross-
sectional area, time, and volume can be used to express flow rate. Since liquids cannot be compressed, the rate
of flow into and out of a given space must be equal. For the purpose of developing, operating, and maintaining
hydraulic systems, accurate flow measurement is necessary.

The flow rate may be expressed in terms of the following:

1. Volumetric Flow Rate (Q) – A fluid's volume flow rate is determined by how much fluid moves across a
specific cross-sectional area in a unit of time. This determines the amount of fluid that flows through a specific
location or point in a system in a unit of time. Q is often expressed in m3/s and L/min.
𝑄 = 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐿𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 / 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
𝑄 = 𝐴𝑉
2. Mass Flow Rate (MF) – It is the mass of a liquid moving at a constant rate. The density, liquid velocity, and
cross-sectional area all have an impact on the mass flow. It is the mass movement per unit of time. The letters m
and the numbers kg/s stand for mass flow. The common units for MF are kg/s and lb/min.

𝑀𝐹 = 𝜌𝑄
3. Weight Flow Rate (WF) - This measures the mass of fluid passing through a given point in a system per unit
of time. The common units for WF are N/s and lbf/min. It is defined as the weight of any fluid passing through
any section per unit time.
𝑊𝐹 = 𝛾𝑄

The experiment was designed to investigate the behavior of fluid flow, the control of flow rate in
hydraulic systems, and Bernoulli's equation. The hydraulic bench is an effective instrument for studying fluid
dynamics because it is a flexible apparatus for modeling fluid flow phenomena.
Materials Used:
HYDRAULICS BENCH

An experimental tool used in fluid mechanics laboratories to mimic and research numerous aspects of fluid flow
and hydraulic systems is called a hydraulics bench. It is the central apparatus that includes components such as
pipes, pumps, valves, and pressure gauges for creating a controlled hydraulic system. In this experiment, the
hydraulics bench is used to regulate the fluid's flow in order to slow or speed up its discharge. The volumetric
flow rate, mass flow rate, and weight flow rate of the fluid will be determined using the data.
STOPWATCH

It is used to accurately measuring the time taken for a certain volume of water to flow through the system. The
flow of discharge varied at different volumes, such as 10 L, 15 L, and 20 L, and was recorded using a
stopwatch.
Procedures:

1. If the Hydraulics Bench was already prepared and ready to use, the instructor proceeded to switch the power
of the apparatus to operate it.

2. The flow control valve was slowed down by the teacher. This indicates that the hydraulics bench's fluid flow
is only set to a low setting.

3. In order for the water to be stored in the tank, the gate valve was then closed by one of the members of the
group. Closing the gate valve allows water to accumulate and fill the pipes, channels, and other components of
the hydraulic system.
4. Using the volume scale, the crew calculated the amount of fluid in the storage tank. 10L to 20L, 10L to 25L,
and 10L to 30L are the volumes. The amount of time it will take for the fluid to reach the desired volume is also
measured using a timer. This timing information was then utilized for calculating flow rates, an essential
component of the experiment's analysis. The calculations of the relevant values will require time.

5. After filling the storage tank with water, the gate valve is opened in order to drain the water to proceed to
another trial.

6. After finishing the three trials for the low setting of discharge, immediately ask the instructor to switch the
flow control valve to the high setting which is faster. Repeat the same procedures 3-5 for another three trials.
7. After collecting the required data for the experiment, proceed to the calculations to gather the results
necessary to determine the Volumetric Flow Rate, Mass Flow Rate, and Weight Flow Rate.

Data and Results:

Conclusion:
The laboratory experiment, Determination of Flow Rate using the Hydraulics Bench, shed significant
understanding on fluid dynamics and its useful applications. The experiment demonstrated the relationship
between flow rate and pressure as well as the effects of these parameters on hydraulic systems by manipulating
valve openings and pump settings. The results of the experiment point to an inversely proportionate relationship
between flow rates and the water volume collected, as seen in the tables above.
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What is volume flow rate? (article) | Fluids | Khan Academy. (n.d.). Khan Academy.

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/fluids/fluid-dynamics/a/what-is-volume-flow-rate

Byju's. (n.d.). Mass Flow Rate Formula. Byju's Learning App. https://byjus.com/mass-flow-rate-formula/