Fluid Mechanics (ME-337) (Spring 2024)

Lab Report Number: 02

“Hydrostatic Bench Apparatus Analysis”

Section: ME-14 (C)

Group Members

Name CMS IDs

Abdullah Hamid 409519
Amna Saleem 413246
Muhammad Abdullah Zafar Ghauri 405642
Muhammad Ali Tariq 410890
Muhammad Ammar Amer 411927
Muhammad Azhaf Zeeshan 423683

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 School Of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, NUST
ME-337 Fluid Mechanics (Spring 2024)

Name: Muhammad Abdullah Zafar Ghauri CMS: 405642

Section: ME-14 (C) Group:

Experiment 2: Measurement of Volume Flow Rate using

Hydraulic Bench Apparatus
Objectives:

The main purpose of this experiment is to understand the deeper insights of a Hydraulic Bench Apparatus
and how it may be employed in order to calculate the volume flow rate of water from Sump Tank to
Volumetric Tank using flow control valve which is rotated 180ͦ for every observation.

Apparatus:

Open Channel
Dump Valve

Volumetric
Tank
Flow Control
Valve
Sight Tube

Pump
Sump Tank

Figure 1 Hydraulic Tank Apparatus (SOLTEQ FM-110)

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 Figure 2 Schematic of Hydraulic Bench Apparatus

• Pump:
Pump is a type of turbomachinery which is used to move fluids (like water) from one
point to another by means of mechanical forces, predominantly by converting the electrical
energy into mechanical energy.
• Sump Tank:
In the Hydraulic Tank Apparatus, sump tank is used to store fluid which is driven
to the open channel and hence into the volumetric tank by means of pump attached to it.
• Flow Control Valve:
Flow control valve is used to control the flow rate of fluid. It is opened
when turned in anticlockwise direction. It can be maximum rotated three times at 360ͦ.
• Open Channel:
Open channel is a platform which is set up at some altitude. It serves as a surface
for the flow of fluid when it is pumped and ultimately into the volumetric tank.
• Volumetric Tank:
Volumetric tank serves as storage space for the water recently pumped from
the sump tank and passed over the open channel.
• Dump Valve:
Dump valve is a loose pipe temporarily held place in the volumetric tank. It blocks
the flow of fluid back into the sump tank. Once lifted, the fluid shall flow back into the sump
tank.

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 • Sight Tube:
Sight tube is basically a type of manometer which is used to determine the amount
of fluid being filled in the volumetric tank once pumped.

Procedure:

• Some significant amount of water (should be around 40L-50L) was filled in the sump tank which
was ultimately supplied to the volumetric tank through the open channel by means of pump
attached.
• Pitot tube was briefly inspected and it was well-ensured that there were no defects. It served the
purpose to indicate the volume of liquid water which filled the volumetric tank.
• The flow control valve was rotated at half turn (180ͦ). It was ensured that the rotation was made
anticlockwise.
• The motor pump was turned on and the inlet pipe was grasped tightly to avoid water spewing in
all four directions.
• As soon as the water level on the pitot tube starts rose above the 0 mark, immediately the
stopwatch count was started and was allowed to proceed until desired level was reached. (For
our case we considered 10L as the maximum level for the sake of ease)
• Once the experiment was successfully performed, the dump valve was lifted to allow the water
collected in volumetric tank flow back into the sump tank for the rest of iterations.
• Now, once the experiment was fully performed, let the procedure be repeated again by rotating
the dump valve by factor of 180ͦ again such that a complete rotation was made.
• The experiment was repeated six times until the control valve no longer underwent rotation.
• Once all that was done, the flow rates were calculated against the volume displaced and the time
taken for the tank (volumetric tank) to fill.

Results and Calculations:

Table 1

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Sample Calculation:
̇ V
Volume Flow Rate = Q = t
0.01 𝑚m3
Q= 13 s

Q = 0.769 mm3s-1

0.9

0.8
Volumetric Flow Rate (mm3s-1)

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Valve Positioning (Degrees)

Figure 3 Volumetric Flow Rate vs. Valve Positioning Plot

Discussion:

The following experiment was designed to determine volume flow rates through a dump valve in various
positions. It was clearly observed that when the valve was partially open, it took longer to fill the
volumetric tank. However, when the valve was gradually opened all the way to the last rotation limit,
the fluid took less time to fill the tank, resulting in an increase in the volume flow rate. It may be well
pertained that nonlinear trend in the relationship between valve position and volume flow rate has been
observed which is dependent upon the specific characteristics of the valves and the hydraulic system,
the relationship may exhibit nonlinearities such as sudden jumps or diminishing returns at certain valve
positions which are consequences of volatility in the data due to factors such as experimental error,
fluctuations in external pressure or temperature, and inherent limitations of the apparatus.

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Conclusion:

The following experiment successfully demonstrated a valid comparison between volumetric flow rate
and control valve location. From a broader perspective, it is clear that the Hydraulic Bench apparatus is
critical in the analysis of fluid behavior. Numerous experiments can be carried out to examine the
behavior of fluids in various situations. Moreover, understanding the relationship between valve
positions and volume flow rates is essential for designing and optimizing fluid systems for efficiency
and performance. Factors such as pressure drop, flow resistance, and system constraints should be
brought into consideration when selecting and configuring valves in real-world applications.

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