CALIBRATION OF VENTURIMETER AND ORIFICMETER

Aim: To determine the discharge coefficient of given orifice meter and

venture meter and its variation with Reynolds number. Also prepare a
calibration chart for the given.

Apparatus:
• An orifice meter and a venturi meter,
• Suitable manometer (with mercury as the manometric fluid) for
measuring pressured drop across the meters,
• Water circulation system consisting of water reservoir, a centrifugal
pump having delivery line with by pass. Flow control valves are
provided on delivery line as well as by pass line.
• Calibrated tank for measuring the flow rate of water through orifice
meter.
• Stop watch

Theory:

This experiment introduces us to two devices that are used to measure

flow.
These instruments are based on the same principle as following:
"The pressure difference between any two points on a tapering pipe
through which the fluid is flowing depends on the change of levels and on
the change in velocities and therefore on the volume rate of flow"
One, the venturi meter, is a device used for measuring the rate of flow of
a fluid through a pipe. Water is allowed to flow through the meter at
different rates ranging from zero to the maximum and the corresponding
pressure differences shown in the manometer are noted. The actual
discharge is determined using the measuring tank and the stop watch.

Figure 1Venturi Meter

A Venturi Meter consists of a short converging conical tube leading to a

cylindrical portion, called the throat, of smaller diameter of that of the
pipeline, which is followed by a diverging section in which the diameter
increases again to that of the main pipeline.
The function of the converging portion is to increase the velocity of the
fluid and temporarily lower its static pressure. The pressure difference
between inlet and throat is developed. This pressure difference is
correlated to the rate of flow.

The second, the orifice meter, is again a device used for measuring the
rate of flow of a fluid through a pipe. It works on the same principle as a
venturi meter. It consists of a flat circular plate which has a circular sharp
edged hole called orifice, which is concentric with the pipe. It has an
opening in it smaller than the internal diameter of the pipeline, placed in a
flange connecting the two portions of the pipeline.
The orifice diameter is about 0.5 times the diameter of the pipe. A
differential manometer is connected at section 1 which is at a distance of
about 1.5 to 2 times the pipe diameter upstream from the orifice plate,
and at section 2, which is at a distance of about half the diameter of the
orifice on the downstream side from the orifice plate.

Figure 2 Orifice Meter

The orifice meter comes under the category of "constant area variable
head flow meter." The principle of these meters is conversion of pressure
head into velocity head, which increases due to constriction placed inside
the closed conduit carrying stream of fluid. Construction of orifice meter is
simplest amongst all the flow meters in that it consists of a plate with a
hole drilled in it. In principle, it is essentially similar to a venturi since it
obstructs the flow of fluid, however, due to the absence of guiding
passage on the downstream passage of the orifice meter fluid comes out
in the form of a free jet. This difference in the flow physics of the two flow
meters leads to difference in the value of discharge coefficient and
irrecoverable pressure loss even when the area ratios for two are
identical.
By assuming steady-state, incompressible (constant fluid density),
inviscid, laminar flow in a horizontal pipe (no change in elevation) with
negligible frictional losses, Bernoulli'sequation reduces to an equation
relating the conservation of energy between two points on the same
streamline:
or:

By continuity equation:

or V1 = Q / A1 and V2 = Q / A2 :

Solving for Q:

and:

The above expression for Q gives the theoretical volume flow rate.
However, in actual practice there are considerablefrictional lossesin orifice
meter dueto boundary layer separation and eventual wake formation on
its downstream side and actualvolumetricflow rate through orifice meter is
less than the theoreticaldischarge.Introducing the beta factor β = d2 / d1
as well as the coefficient of discharge Cd:

The value of Cd is usually less than 1, for the Venturi Meter it is close to
one, and for the Orifice it is about 0.65, due to the larger losses in the
case of Orifice meter.
Observation:

Orifice Meter
Sr. Height Time Mercu Discharg Velocit C0 Qactual Reynold
no. in Take ry e y s
tank n level number
Q=H*Atan C0=Qac/k*Rm r=ρ*v*d
H T Rm k/t V=Q/S0 ^.5) Qact=Qt/C0 /μ
uni
t Cm T cm cm3/s cm/s cm3/s
454.72
1 21 30 15 700.0000 26 0.7249 965.6192 699573
422.24
2 19.5 30 13 650.0000 24 0.7231 898.9425 649604
255.51
3 11.8 30 4.4 393.3333 08 0.7521 522.9818 393094
296.65
4 13.7 30 6.8 456.6667 24 0.7024 650.1517 456388
326.96
5 15.1 30 8 503.3333 72 0.7138 705.1885 503026
361.61
6 16.7 30 10 556.6667 27 0.7060 788.4248 556327
391.92
7 18.1 30 11.5 603.3333 76 0.7136 845.4914 602966
We see that C0 = approx 0.72

Graphs

Figure 3Qactualvs R

Figure 4 Discharge Coeff.vslog(Reynold Number)

Venturi Meter
Height Time Mercu Discharge Velocit Discharge Qactual Reynold
in tank Take ry y Coefficient C0 s
n level number
Q=H*Atank/ C0=Qact/k*Rm^ r=ρ*v*d
H T Rm t V=Q/S0 .5) Qact=Qt/ C0 /μ
Cm T cm cm3/s cm/s cm3/s
205.70
9.5 30 1.8 316.6667 79 0.9467 334.5003 316474
324.80
15 30 4.9 500.0000 19 0.9060 551.8973 499695
378.93
17.5 30 7.8 583.3333 55 0.8377 696.3179 582978
335.62
15.5 30 5.5 516.6667 86 0.8836 584.7114 516352
372.43
17.2 30 7.4 573.3333 95 0.8453 678.2286 572984
21.7 30 12.5 723.3333 469.88 0.8206 881.4857 722892
363.77
16.8 30 6.5 560.0000 81 0.8810 635.6484 559659
476.37
22 30 13 733.3333 61 0.8158 898.9425 732886

Here the C0 value vary from 0.8 to 0.95

Graphs:

Figure 5 Q vs R

Figure 6 Discharge Coeff.vslog(Reynold Number)

Discussion:

Orifice meter is a device used to measure the discharge through pipe.

The principal of this meter is conversion of pressure head into velocity
head. Inside the orifices meter due to constriction placed a pressure
difference between two sections is developed, which determines the
discharge through the pipe.

The discharge through the orifice meter is calculated by the formula

Qact = Co * Qt
where

Qt = theoretical discharge, which is measured sing manometer reading

Co = discharge coefficient of orifice meter which is the ratio of actual flow

rate and theoretical flow rate

The discharge coefficient is also dependent upon the diameter ratio of

orifice and pipe, shape of orifice, location of pressure taps and the
Reynolds number.

For a given set up the first 3 parameters are fixed so in the experiment we
observe the behavior of discharge coefficient with change in Reynolds
number. According to theoretical explication discharge coefficient remains
constant for higher Reynolds number.
Result:

• The discharge coefficient for orifices meter varies in-between 0.70 to

0.77
This all data are calculated at a higher value of Reynolds number.
• The graph plotted for discharge coefficient verses Reynolds number is
very much straight line.
• This describes that due to high pressure loss in orifices meter the
velocity of flow also get reduced.
• The graphs of manometer reading verses flow rate were come out to
be parabola which was expected theoretically.

Venturimeter is a device used to measure the discharge through pipe.

The principal of this meter is by reducing the cross section area of flow
passes, pressure difference is created and measurement of pressure
difference enables the determination of the discharge through pipe.

The discharge through the venture meter is calculated by the formula in

the same way as in orifice meter.

Result:

• The discharge coefficient for venture meter varies in-between 0.80 to

0.95
• The graph plotted for discharge coefficient verses Reynolds number is
very much straight line.
• In comparison of orifice meter, venture meter has less pressure loss.
The explanation is that the pressure losses in the convergent section
but it pressure regain in divergent section.

Explanation for Error:

• One of the sources of error is the place where the pressure taps are
installed are right or not.
• There can be error in the measurement of manometer reading.

Precautions:

• Ensure that there is no air in manometer if there are some air

bubbles are present than using air release valve slowly release the
air in manometer. After release the air close the air valves again.
• Never close the delivery line and by pass line simultaneously.

Conclusion:
For both meters it was noted from plots that the difference in pressures
are directly related to the rate of discharge.
• Coefficient of discharge have a varying value depending on the rate
of discharge, where in the venturi meter the value of Cd increase
gradually at first with increasing the rate of discharge till a point
approaching one, then started to descend with further increment in
the rate of discharge. For the Orifice meter the same scheme was
noticed but with the ultimate value of 0.7
• The Coefficient of discharge " Cd" for the venturi Meter was greater
than that for the Orifice Meter, which indicates that the head losses
occurred in the Orifice are larger than that in the venturi, this result
was predicted theoretically.
• A practical error in taking the reading was noticed when the Cd of
that reading was calculated, which showed increasing value of Cd of
the previous results.
• The arrangement of Orifice Meter is much economical than the use of
the venturi meter, but as seen in this experiment the venturi meter
provide more accurate results that the Orifice meter, So the choice
of which to use in a specified laboratory depends on the financial
ability of the organization occupying the device and on the accuracy
needed.