UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING

WR 211 ; FLUID MECHANICS FOR CIVIL ENGINEERS

PRACTICAL REPORT NO. 04: FLOW MEASURING APPARATUS

NAME: PAUL,GABRIEL MWAIJANDE
REGISTRATION NUMBER: 2013-04-02253
DEGREE COURSE: BSc. IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
LECTURER NAME; P.M. NDOMBA.(ASSOCIATE PROF..)
PRACTICAL INSTRUCTOR:Dr. NOBERT
GROUP:F
PRACTICAL DATE: 03- DECEMBER-2014
TIME:08:00-10:00.

PRACTICAL VENUE: WATER RESOURCE LABORATORY

FLOW MEASURING APPARATUS

INTRODUCTION
Fluid flow/fluid dynamic means the fluid are in motion. Flow measurements apparatus
involve typical the demonstration of flow rate measurement devices for incompressible fluids
in pipes such as Venturi Meter, Orifice plate, and Rotameter.
Venturimeter; A venturimeter is a device for measuring rate of flow in pipe line. It is
based on Bernoullis principle that is when the velocity head increases in an accelerated
flow, there is a corresponding reduction in the piezometric head.
Rota meter;It is a device used for measuring discharge in pipe lines generally used in
chemical industries where high degree of accuracy is not required and the flow varies
within a limited range.
Orifices plate;An orifice is an geometric opening in the side of a thin- walled tank or
vessel, always shape is circular with either a sharp edge. Usually round through which the
fluids flow. It may be used for measuring flow from a reservoir or through a pipe as a case
of an orifice meter.
this practical involve the Experimental Discharge which means the measurement of
discharge of liquid flowing in a tube is found by using hydraulic devices such as Venturi
meter, orifice plate and Rotameter. The discharge can be calculated theoretically and
experimental, theoretically discharge differs from that obtained experimentally since some
factors which cause decrease of discharge are not put into considerations. Such factors are
such as viscosity and friction due to pipe resistance. To obtain an approximated discharge
theoretically, the theoretical value is multiplied with a coefficient called coefficient of
discharge, Cd
OBJECTIVES
The main objectives in that experiment were;
1) To become familiar with several types of flow measuring devices, such as the Venturi
meter, orifice meter and rotameter.
2) To determine the coefficient of discharge, Cd, for the Venturi meter and orifice meter,
and to calibrate the rotameter.
3) To show that the head difference between the piezometric tappings at the bottom and
top of the tapered tube of the rotameter remains sensibly constant for variation of
discharge Q through the meter.
APPARATUS USED

Venturi Meter
Orifice plate
Rotameter
stopwatch

PROCEDURE
The pump was started and the bench supply valve was opened and water was allowed
to flow for three minutes.
The apparatus control valve was partially closed and the manometer was purged using
the vent valve. The apparatus control valve was then closed.

 Air was then pumped into the manometer to obtain zero pressure difference in the
piezometer tubes at the convenient level.
More than seven readings for Q (discharge) and Hdiff (pressure head difference H),
between inlet and throat and on the Orifice Plate was noted while the height of the
float (Y) in the Rotameter was recorded, Hdiff was being reduced in equal decrements.
RESULTS AND CALCULATION:
Table of results
Volume

Time

Venturi

Orifice

Rotameter

Height of float in

(L)

(sec)

Meter

Plate

Hdiff

the Rotameter

Hdiff (m)

Hdiff

(m)

Y (m)

(m)
5
15.06
0.175
0.194
0.124
5
13.80
0.165
0.185
0.123
5
14.78
0.160
0.180
0.123
5
15.24
0.150
0.166
0.121
5
16.64
0.136
0.153
0.120
5
17.30
0.126
0.142
0.117
5
18.01
0.115
0.130
0.116
Diameter of the inlet pipe on the venturi meter = 26mm
Diameter of throat = 16mm
Diameter of orifice = 20mm
Diameter of Inlet to Orifice = 51mm
From; Discharge Q =

0.164
0.157
0.155
0.148
0.142
0.136
0.129

volume( m3)
Time ( s)

Table of results
Discharge

LogQ

Venturi

Orifice

Rotameter

Height of float

Qx10-4

(m3/s)

Meter

Plate

LogHdiff (m)

in

LogHdiff

LogHdiff

(m3/s)
3.32
3.62
3.38
3.28
3.00
2.89
2.78

-3.479
-3.441
-3.471
-3.484
-3.522
-3.539
-3.556

(m)
(m)
-0.75696
-0.7122
-0.78252
-0.73283
-0.79588
-0.74473
-0.82391
-0.77989
-0.86646
-0.81531
-0.89963
-0.84771
-0.9393
-0.88606

theRotameter
-0.90658
-0.91009
-0.91009
-0.91721
-0.92082
-0.93181
-0.93554

Y (m)
0.164
0.157
0.155
0.148
0.142
0.136
0.129

1.VENTURI METER
a) Validity of the general discharge equation
Q = KHn
Log Q = Log K+ nLog H

GRAPH OF LOG Q AGAINST LOG H

-1

-0.95

-0.9

-0.85

-0.8

-0.75

-3.38
-3.4-0.7
-3.42
-3.44
-3.46

f(x) = 0.57x - 3.02

LOG Q

-3.48
-3.5
-3.52
-3.54
-3.56
-3.58
LOG H

b) Comparing Log Q = n Log H + Log K with the equation of line,

y = mx + c
Slope, m = n
y-intercept, c = Log Q-intercept = Log K

Slope, n =

log Q
log H

From the graph; n = 0.570

log Q Intercept = Log K = -3.020
K = log-1 -3.020
4
K = 9.55 10
At point (-0.5, -3.305)
Log H = -0.5, i.e. H = 0.3162

Log Q = -3.305, i.e. Q = 4.954510-4

4
Qexp = 4.954 5 10

m3/s

Qt = KHn
4
Qt = 9.55 10 0.31620.570
4
Qt = 4.954 3 10

m3/s

Coefficient of discharge, Cd
Cd =

Q exp
Qt

4.9545 104 m 3/s

4.9543 104 m 3/s

Cd = 1.00

2.ORIFICE PLATE:
(a) Validity of the general discharge equation
Q = KHn
Log Q = Log K+ nLog H

GRAPH OF LOG Q AGAINST LOG H

-3.35
-0.9 -0.88 -0.86 -0.84 -0.82 -0.8 -0.78 -0.76 -0.74 -0.72 -0.7
-3.4

LOG Q

-3.45

f(x) = 0.59x - 3.03

-3.5
-3.55
-3.6
LOG H

(b) From the graph ;

The gradient of the graph (n) is 0.594
The vertical intercept (log K) is -3.030
K = log-1(-3.030) = 9.3310-4
Consider point (-0.4,-3.2676) from a graph.
LogQex = -3. 2676 and log H = -0.4

QexP = 5.4 x 10-4 and Hdiff = 0.398

From: QT = KHn
= 9.3310-4 (0.398)0.594
=5.398 10-4
The coefficient of discharge Cd for the Orifice Plate:
Q exp
Qt

Cd =

5.4 104 m3 /s
5.398 104 m3 /s

Cd = 1.000

3.ROTAMETER

GRAPH OF Y AGAINST Q
0.2
0.18
0.16

f(x) = 0.05x - 0.01

0.14
0.12
0.1
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
0.5

1.5

2.5

3.5

From the graph, the Y intercept is -0.0135m and the gradient is 0.0532 m2/s.
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
From the results of the calculation and plotted graph, the coefficients of the discharge
Cd for both Venturi meter and orifice plate seem to be the same in magnitudes but are
slightly lie out of the required ranges of coefficients of the discharge (0.8 C d 0.99).
The slightly out of the Cd required range is due to the some errors which appeared
during the experiments.

SOURCES OF ERRORS
The following are some of the errors that are involved in Experiment:
Error due to delay in starting and stopping the stop watch.
Transposing of numbers.
Misplacing decimal point.
Error due to misreading or balancing.
Errors due to parallax
Vibration of the surge tank when closing and opening valves causing variation of levels.

CONCLUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

For a better results and understanding of the students I would like to recommend on
the following
Our hydraulic laboratory should be provided with a rigid volumetric/ surge tank to
avoid shaking or vibrating of the surge tank during experiment. Vibration of the surge
tank leads to errors due to misreading or balancing of values.
Minimizations of number of students per one setup/section for better and effective
carrying out of the experiment.(at most 10 students per section)
The apparatus should be regularly checked before practical time for better results.
Accuracy in conducting the experiment, recording data, applying correct formula
should be emphasized so as to approach better results.