BIALYSTOK UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering

HVAC Department

Laboratory exercise instruction

Subject of exercise: Measurement of flow velocity and flow rate
- Pitot tube

Exercise number 6

Laboratory of
FLUID MECHANICS

Code: CBSE4173 L06

Work out by:

dr inż. Tomasz Teleszewski
dr inż. Piotr Rynkowski

Białystok, December 2018

Bialystok University of Technology Exercise number 6
HVAC Department Measurement of flow velocity and flow rate- Pitot tube

1. Purpose of exercise.
The purpose is using Pitot tube as instrument to flow rate.
2. Theoretical basis

Pitot tube is shown on figure 1. The flow velocity is given by the following equation from
total pressure p1 and static pressure p2, both to be measured as in the case of eqn.:
2  p1  p 2 
vc


where c is called the Pitot tube coefficient, which may be taken as having value 1 for a standard-type
Pitot tube.
A Pitot tube is also used to measure the flow in a large-diameter pipe. In this case, the cross-
section of the pipe is divided into ring-like equal areas, and the flow velocity at the centre of the area
of every ring is measured. The mean flow velocity is obtained from their mean value, and the total
flow rate is obtained from the product of the mean velocity and the section area. Apart from the
standard type, there are various other types of Pitot tube, as follows.

Sketch 1. Sketch of Pitot tube Cylinder-type Pitot tube

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Bialystok University of Technology Exercise number 6
HVAC Department Measurement of flow velocity and flow rate- Pitot tube

Cylinder-type Pitot tube is type of Pitot tube is used to measure simultaneously the direction and
the flow velocity of a two-dimensional flow utilising the pressure distribution on the cylinder surface wall.
Figure 2 shows the measuring principle. The body is rotated in a flow until h = 0, and the centre-line
direction is then the flow direction. The static pressure is obtained if  = 33o-35o. Then, if one of the holes
is made to face the flow direction by rotating the cylinder, it measures the total pressure. If a third
measuring hole is provided on the centre line, the flow direction and both pressures can
be measured at the same time. A device which measures the flow direction and velocity in this way is
called a yawmeter.

Sketch 2. Sketch of cylinder-type Pitot tube

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Bialystok University of Technology Exercise number 6
HVAC Department Measurement of flow velocity and flow rate- Pitot tube

Five-hole spherical Pitot tube as shown in Fig. 3, and is capable of measuring the
velocity and direction of a three-dimensional flow.

Sketch 3. Sketch of five-hole spherical Pitot tube

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Bialystok University of Technology Exercise number 6
HVAC Department Measurement of flow velocity and flow rate- Pitot tube

2. Experimental Apparatus and Equipment.

Sketch 2. Scheme of place.

A - pipe,
B - Pitot tube,
C - Recknagel micromanometer,
D - ventilator,
F - screen,
E – electric motor.

3. Experimental Procedure
a) to turn on the ventilator ,
b) measure dynamic pressure using Pitot tube..

The activities action to repeat for three value of point, on each point we have to obtain
12 points .

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Bialystok University of Technology Exercise number 6
HVAC Department Measurement of flow velocity and flow rate- Pitot tube

5. Working out of data.

Mean the dynamic pressure:
p   l  lo  n m  g   Pa 
in which: n ratio of Ratio of the Recknagel micromanometer    flow number,
m density of fluid in the Recknagel micromanometer m  800  kg / m3  ,
l height of the fluid level of the Recknagel micromanometer  m  .

The velocity (average value in cross – section) calculated from:

2p  m 
v
  s 

in which: p  dynamic pressure (average value in cross - section))  Pa  ,

 density of air   1, 2  kg / m3  .

The flow rate (average value in cross – section) calculated from:

  d 2  m3 
Q  v
4  s 

in which: d  145, 2  mm   0,1452  m   diameter  m  ,

Put all measured and calculated data into a table.

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 Bialystok University of Technology Exercise number 6
HVAC Department Measurement of flow velocity and flow rate- Pitot tube

Height Height of Dynamic

of the Height of the the fluid Dynamic pressure Velocity Flow rate Flow rate
fluid Ratio of the fluid level of the level pressure (average (average (average (average
level Recknagel Recknagel (average (average value in value in value in value in
when micromanomete micromanomete value in value in cross - cross – cross – cross –
p=0 r Nr Deep r point) point) section) section) section) section)
lo n lx l p p v Q Q
3 3
mm - mm mm mm Pa Pa m/s m /s m /h
1

10

11

12

Draw a conclusion.

6. References
1. Raymond C. Binder.; Fluid Mechanics; Prentice-Hall, Inc.; New York, 1973.
2. Prandtl L., Tietjens O.; Hydro-und Aeromechanik, Springer.