Fluid Dynamics -Class Examples

1. A Venturi meter with an entrance diameter of 0.3m and a throat diameter of 0.2m is
used to measure the volume of gas flowing through a pipe. The discharge coefficient of
the meter is 0.96. Assuming the specific weight of the gas to be constant at 19.62 N/m3,
calculate the volume flowing when the pressure difference between the entrance and
the throat is measured as 0.06m on a water U-tube manometer. [0.816 m3/s]

2. Water is discharging from a tank through a convergent-divergent mouthpiece. The

exit from the tank is rounded so that losses there may be neglected and the minimum
diameter is 0.05m. If the head in the tank above the centre-line of the mouthpiece is
1.83m.
a) What is the discharge?
b) What must be the diameter at the exit if the absolute pressure at the minimum area
is to be 2.44 m of water?
c) What would the discharge be if the divergent part of the mouth piece were
removed. (Assume atmospheric pressure is 10 m of water). [0.0752m, 0.0266m3/s,
0.0118m3/s]
3. A Venturi meter is to fitted in a horizontal pipe of 0.15m diameter to measure a flow of
water which may be anything up to 240m3/hour. The pressure head at the inlet for this
flow is 18m above atmospheric and the pressure head at the throat must not be lower
than 7m below atmospheric. Between the inlet and the throat there is an estimated
frictional loss of 10% of the difference in pressure head between these points. Calculate
the minimum allowable diameter for the throat. [0.063m]

4. In a hydroelectric power plant, 100 m3/s of water flows from an elevation of 120 m to
a turbine, where electric power is generated (Fig. below). The total irreversible head
loss in the piping system from point 1 to point 2 (excluding the turbine unit) is
determined to be 35 m. If the overall efficiency of the turbine–generator is 80 percent,
estimate the electric power output.