LAB REPORT- VENTURI METRE

Introduction

A device used to measure the flow rate along a pipe is called the Venturi tube. A fluid moving

through it accelerates with an increase in the velocity in the throat in the direction of the tapering

contraction. A drop-in pressure accompanies this; the magnitude of which depends on the flow

rate. The flow rate can therefore be inferred from the difference in pressure as measured by

piezometers placed on the upstream throat. The effect that the meter has on the pressure change

is called Venturi's effect. You can also mix a liquid with a gas using a venturi. If a pump forces

the liquid to increase liquid speed (the diameter decreases) through a tube connected to a venturi

system, a short piece of tube with a small hole in it, and last a venturi that decreases speed (so

that the tube becomes wider again), the gas will be sucked into the small hole due to pressure

changes. At the end of the system, a mixture of liquid and gas appears.

Theory

The Venturi effect is a jet effect; as with an (air) funnel or thumb on a garden hose, the velocity

of the fluid increases as the cross-sectional area decreases and thereby the static pressure

decreases. Under the laws governing fluid dynamics, a fluid's velocity must increase as it passes

through a constraint to meet the continuity principle, while its pressure must decrease to meet the

mechanical energy conservation principle. Thus, due to its increased velocity through a

constriction, any gain in kinetic energy that a fluid can accumulate is denied by a drop-in

pressure. A pressure drop equation due to Venturi's effect can be derived from a combination of

the Bernoulli principle and the continuity equation. The limiting case of the Venturi effect is

when a fluid reaches the choked state of flow, where the velocity of the fluid approaches local
sound. The mass flow rate will not increase in choked flow with a further decrease in the

downstream pressure environment. However, with increased upstream pressure, the mass flow

rate of a compressible fluid may increase, which will increase the fluid density through the

constriction (although the velocity remains constant). This is the working principle of a de Laval

nozzle. Increasing source temperature will also enable local sonic velocity to increase the mass

flow rate. Consider the flow of an incompressible and invisible fluid through the converging -

divergent Venturi tube. Since both the velocity and the piezometer head are constant over each of

the considered sections, we could assume that the flow is one-dimensional so that the velocity

and piezometric head vary only in the direction of the length of the tube. The convergent-

divergent pipe is treated as a stream tube and the Bernoulli theorem is applied

𝑈12 𝑈2 𝑈2
+ ℎ1 = 2𝑔2 + ℎ2 = 2𝑔𝑛 + ℎ𝑛 ---------------------- 1
2𝑔

The Continuity equation is given by

𝑈1 𝐴1 = 𝑈2 𝐴2 = 𝑈𝑛 𝐴𝑛 = 𝑄-------------------------- 2

Substituting equation 1 for U1 in equation two gives

𝑈12 𝐴2 2 𝑈2
[ ] + ℎ1 = 2𝑔2 + ℎ2 ------------------------------ 3
2𝑔 𝐴 1

This implies

2𝑔 (ℎ1 −ℎ2 )
𝑈2 = √ 𝐴 2 --------------------------- 4
1−( 2 )
𝐴1

2𝑔 (ℎ1 −ℎ2 )
The flow rate Q = A2√ 𝐴 2 (ideal discharge rate) ------------------------- 5
1−( 2 )
𝐴1
The actual discharge is given by (where C = Discharge coefficient)

2𝑔 (ℎ1 −ℎ2 )
Q = C. A2√ 𝐴 2 -------------------------------------- 6
1−( 2 )
𝐴1

It is convenient to use the velocity head 𝑈22 /2g at the throat to express a dimensionless way of

expressing piezometric head distribution along the length of the Venturi meter. The Piezometer

Head Coefficient accordingly

ℎ2 −ℎ1
𝐶𝑝 ℎ = (n = 2, 3…) ----------------------------- 7
𝑈22 /2𝑔

The ideal distribution Cph along a Venturi meter (in terms of its geometry) is given.

𝐴 2 𝐴 2
𝐶𝑝 ℎ = (𝐴2 ) − (𝐴2 ) ------------------------------- 8
1 𝑛

𝐷 2 𝐷 2
𝐶𝑝 ℎ = ( 2 ) − ( 2 ) ------------------------------- 9
𝐷1 𝐷𝑛

Procedure

The first leveling of the apparatus. This is done by opening both the bench supply valve and the

downstream control valve of the meter to allow water to flow from the supply hose for a few

seconds to clear the air pockets. The control valve is then gradually closed, so that the Venturi

tube is subjected to a gradually increasing pressure that causes water to rise the manometer's

tubes, thus compressing the air in the manifold. The bench valve is also gradually closed when

the water level has risen to a convenient height. Then the adjusting screws are operated to give

the same readings across the entire width of the manometer board for all the tubes. If viewed

from the end, the board should also be reasonably vertical. Measurements are made of a set of

differential heads (h2—h1) and Q flow rates to determine the meter coefficient. The first reading
should be taken with the maximum possible value of (h2 — h1), i.e. with hi close to the top of

the scale and h2 near to the bottom. This condition is obtained when the bench valve and the

control valve are gradually opened in turn. Successive opening of both valves will increase the

flow as well as the difference between h1 and h2. The bench valve opening is accompanied by a

general increase in levels in the manometer, while the opposite effect is the opening of the

control valve. The necessary condition can be obtained by judiciously balancing the setting of

the two valves. If there is difficulty. Air may be discharged or admitted. The manifold is located

at the end of the small air valve. The flow rate is found by timing the collection in the weighing

tank of a known amount of water, meanwhile the values of hi and h2 are read from the scale of

the manometer. Similar readings are then taken over a series of reduction values of (h1 — h2),

spreading from 250 mm to zero approximately equally across the available range. Approximately

10 readings should be enough. By taking the complete set of manometer readings at any of the

flow rates used in the tests described above, the distribution of piezometric head along the length

of the Venturi tube can be determined. However, this is done in each case, it becomes lengthy to

reduce all the results. Only one or two such comprehensive observations are therefore suggested.

These should be taken close to the condition of maximum flow for the sake of accuracy.

Results and calculations

Diameter at inlet D 26 mm

Diameter at throat D2 16 mm

Cross sectional area at throat A2 2.011 × 10−4 𝑚2

Area ratio, throat to inlet A2/A1 0.379

Length of contraction section 25 mm

Length of throat section 16 mm

Length of diffuser 89 mm

Length overall 130 mm

sqrt(h1 -
h1 h2 Q h1 - h2 h2) C
m3/s m m^1/2
4.26E-
218 23 05 0.195 0.44158804 1.0028E-01
3.15E-
205 94 05 0.111 0.33316662 9.8282E-02
1.75E-
191 156 05 0.035 0.18708287 9.7236E-02
1.74E-
129 93 05 0.036 0.18973666 9.5329E-02
1.30E-
188 169 05 0.019 0.13784049 9.8037E-02
4.43E-
220 10 05 0.21 0.45825757 1.0049E-01
3.86E-
210 51 05 0.159 0.39874804 1.0063E-01
2.51E-
197 126 05 0.071 0.26645825 9.7920E-02
2.32E-
194 133 05 0.061 0.24698178 9.7645E-02
6.30E-
192 188 06 0.004 0.06324555 1.0355E-01
4.47E-
221 8 05 0.213 0.46151923 1.0068E-01

Piez xn Dn D2/Dn (D2/Dn)^4 Cph h

ref. mm mm
A(1) -3 26 0.615385 0.14341235 0.020209731 128
B 12 23.2 0.689655 0.22621843 0.018013879 121
-
C 25 18.4 0.869565 0.57175325 0.086232033 78
 -
D(2) 37 16 1 1 0.979367263 17
-
E 54 16.79 0.952948 0.82466421 0.441863906 25
-
F 68 18.47 0.86627 0.56313478 0.079932851 61
G 83 20.16 0.793651 0.39675081 -0.00414555 82
H 98 21.84 0.732601 0.288051 0.013748155 93
J 112 23.53 0.679983 0.21379238 0.01854359 100
K 129 25.21 0.634669 0.16225144 0.019939703 108
L 148 26 0.615385 0.14341235 0.020209731 110

variation of sqrt(h1-h2) with Q for a venturi meter

0.5
0.45 y = 10237x + 0.0064
0.4
sqrt(h1-h2) (m^1/2)

0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
0.00E+00 1.00E-05 2.00E-05 3.00E-05 4.00E-05 5.00E-05
Q(m/s)

Slope = 10237 m-s

1
But 𝐶 = 9.62×10−4 ×10237 = 0.1015

Discussion

From the graph, it could be seen that (h1-h2)1/2 rises steadily as the flow rate Q increases.

Despite this, the rate of rise at h2=188 suddenly decreases. Then it can be said that (h1-h2)1/2 is

directly proportional to the liquid's flow rate. From the fig curve. 3, It could be noticed that with
respect to the differential head, the flow rate Q is steadily increasing. Here it can also be said that

Q is directly proportional to the head of the difference (h1–h2). This is predicted by equation,

2𝑔 (ℎ1 −ℎ2 )
Q = C. A2√ 𝐴 2
1−( 2 )
𝐴1

The experimental results support this reasonably well. The constant C value. Taking into

consideration the total head loss in the contraction cone and the velocity non-uniformity across

the inlet and throat cross-sections, 0.1015 was found. When the results for each individual test

are evaluated. However, with increasing flow rate, the value of C appears to rise slightly from

about 0.095329 to about 0.10355.

Conclusion

It can therefore be concluded that the experiment was successful. This is because the results

show that an increase in the differential head of two tubes causes an increase in the flow rate of

the liquid in the tubes and this proves Venturi's effect. However, when h2 is equal to 188 mm,

there is a significant change in the increase in flow rate and the reason for this change could not

be taken into account.

References

1. Instruction manual from Fluid Mechanics Laboratory.

.2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki /Venturi_effect