Experiment No 5

To investigate the reaction forces produced by the change in

momentum of a fluid flow.

Objective:
The objective of this experiment is to investigate the reaction forces produced by the change in
momentum of a fluid flow when a jet of water strikes a flat plate or a curved surface, and to
compare the results from this experiment with the computed forces by applying the momentum
equation.

Apparatus:
The following equipment is required to perform the impact of the jet experiment:
 hydraulics bench,
 impacts of a jet apparatus with three flow deflectors with deflection angles of 120, and
180 degrees, and
 Stopwatch for timing the flow measurement.

Apparatus Description:
The jet apparatus is a clear acrylic cylinder, a nozzle, and a flow deflector (Figure 5.1). Water
enters vertically from the top of the cylinder, through a nozzle striking a target, mounted on a
stem, and leaves through the outlet holes in the base of the cylinder. An air vent at the top of the
cylinder maintains the atmospheric pressure inside the cylinder. A weight pan is mounted at the
top of the stem to allow the force of the striking water to be counterbalanced by applied masses.
A diagram of the F1-16 Impact of Jet Apparatus. At the top of the apparatus is the weight pan
which sits on top of a spring. There is a level gauge on the right-hand side of the spring and a
knurled screw to the left of the spring. Beneath the top plate of the apparatus sits a clear cylinder
containing a target plate which hangs down just above the nozzle.
Theory:
The velocity of fluid, v, leaving the nozzle of cross-sectional area, A, is given by
Qv
v=
A
It is assumed that the magnitude of the velocity (i.e., speed) does not change as fluid flows
around the deflector, and that only its direction changes.
Application of Newton's 2nd law to the deflected flow gives the result:
F y =Qm v ( cos θ+1 )

where Fy = force exerted on deflector by fluid.

and Q = mass flow rate and

Qm =ρQ v =ρAv

For static equilibrium, F, is balanced by the applied load, W (= Mg, where M is the applied mass)
hence,
2
W =ρA v ( cos θ+1 )
Thus, the slope, s, of a graph of W plotted against v2 is s= ρA ( cos θ+1 )

Note that θ=180°−α , where α is the flow deflection angle.

Related Theory:
The fluid jet apparatus simply consists of a glass plastic case inside which is a vertical pipe. On
its lower end of the pipe, the hydraulic bench’s inlet pipe is attached and on its top end a nozzle
is attached. Right above the nozzle, a deflector is attached to the weight plate on which the fluid
jet is to be impacted.
Jet of fluid:
A high-speed continuous stream of fluid projected out of a small opening or an orifice is called
jet of fluid.
By attaching different nozzles with pipes, we can get the jet of the fluid. Actually, inside the
nozzle, the fluid stream lines merge and the pressure is reduced. The pressure in the attached
pipe is greater that the fluid present in the nozzle. So, the fluid in the nozzle is projected out of
the nozzle at a very high speed.

Impact of fluid jet:

According to physics, when a particle moves at a very high speed, it carries some momentum.
When this particle hits some other particle, its momentum is transferred. Same is the case is with
the fluid. The force exerted by the jet of the fluid on another body that may be stationary or
moving is called impact of the fluid.

Deflectors:
The deflector is a component that is used to spread or deflect the fluid jet in all directions. It has
various shapes and types depending on the angle of its cup. The angle starts from 90° to 180°.
The 90° deflector is flat and 180° is parabolic in shape.

Procedure:
 First of all set the jet apparatus on Hydraulic Bench.
 Put a level on the jet apparatus to see whether the apparatus is fully horizontal or tilted. If
not, adjust it to make it horizontal.
 Now give power supply to the Hydraulic bench apparatus.
 Check whether the needle is on the datum line or not.
 Put some mass on the weight plate before opening the valve.
 Now slowly open the valve until the flow rate is achieved to uplift the plate to the datum
line.
 When we are on the datum line, note down the volumetric flow rate of the fluid jet.
 At a particular fixed time, observe that how many liters of fluid is collected in the tub.
Then multiply it with the cross-sectional area of the nozzle.
 Now add more weight on the plate and adjust the valve to reach the datum line. Also find
the volumetric flow rate of the fluid jet at the same fixed time.
 Repeat the experiment for 5-7 times using different deflectors of different degrees and fill
the observation table.
 Plot the graph between the weight W and square of velocity v2 and find its slope. The
slope found by this graphical method is the experimental slope.
 Now fine the theoretical slope using the formula given below,
s= ρA ( cos θ+1 )
 Observation & Graphs:

Deflector Volume Time to Mass Flow

Nozzle Type Collected Collect Applied Rate Velocity Velocity2 Slope Calculated
Sr Diameter α V t W Qv v v2 from Slope from
No. (m) (degrees) (m3) (s) (kg) (m3/s) (m/s) (m/s)2 Theory Experiment
1 0.008 120 0.002 21.20 0.1 0.000094 1.8768 3.522548
2 0.008 120 0.002 13.66 0.15 0.000146 2.9128 8.484519
3 0.008 120 0.002 10.13 0.2 0.000197 3.9278 15.428 0.0242 0.01045
4 0.008 120 0.002 9.10 0.25 0.000219 4.3724 19.11815
5 0.008 120 0.002 8.62 0.3 0.000232 4.6159 21.3066
Deflection angle α = 120°

Graph:

Chart Title
0.35

0.3

0.25

0.2

0.15

0.1

0.05

0
0 5 10 15 20 25
 Deflection angle α = 180°
Deflector Volume Time to Mass Flow
Nozzle Type Collected Collect Applied Rate Velocity Velocity2 Slope Calculated
Sr Diameter α V t W Qv v v2 from Slope from
No. (m) (degrees) (m3) (s) (kg) (m3/s) (m/s) (m/s)2 Theory Experiment
1 0.008 180 0.005 54.7 0.1 0.000091 1.83 3.34
2 0.008 180 0.005 33.6 0.2 0.000148 2.96 8.76
3 0.008 180 0.005 32.26 0.3 0.000155 3.08 9.49 0.10 0.0501
4 0.008 180 0.005 28.93 0.4 0.000172 3.44 11.83
5 0.008 180 0.005 23.52 0.5 0.000212 4.23 17.89

Graph:

Chart Title
0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Applications:
 Jet Engine Thrust: Understanding the reaction forces in a jet engine is crucial for
designing efficient propulsion systems for aircraft. By analyzing the change in
momentum of the exhaust gases, engineers can optimize engine performance.
 Water Jet Propulsion: Watercraft, such as jet skis and high-speed boats, use water jet
propulsion systems. Investigating reaction forces in these systems helps optimize their
efficiency and maneuverability.
 construction equipment, manufacturing machinery, and more
 Automotive Design: The analysis of reaction forces in automotive fluid systems, such as
the flow of air in engines or the behavior of fluids in braking systems, helps in designing
safer and more efficient vehicles.
 Energy Generation: Reaction forces in fluid flows are critical in the design of hydraulic
turbines, wind turbines, and other energy conversion systems. Optimizing these forces
improves the efficiency of power generation.
 Oil and Gas Industry: In the oil and gas sector, knowledge of reaction forces in fluid
flow is applied in the design and operation of pipelines, pumps, compressors, and drilling
systems.

Precautions:
Some precautions for the experiment are given below:
 Safety Precautions: Ensure the safety of the experimenters and the environment by
following safety guidelines for working with water and equipment. Use appropriate
personal protective equipment (PPE) if necessary.
 Equipment Calibration: Calibrate all measurement instruments, such as pressure
gauges, flow meters, and measuring cylinders, to ensure accurate readings before starting
the experiment.

Comments:
From the above all observations, the results drawn are that using 180° deflectors, maximum force
is impacted because the factor cos becomes 1. Using 90° this factor become. The deflector we
use is 120° that is intermediate between them. Then the Results come out from theoretical
approach using formula and experimental approach using graph.

References:
 https://www.slideshare.net/bkrishna4004/impact-of-jet-198346430
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71vSzgnxU81
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet (fluid)