UNIVERSITI TENAGA NASIONAL

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

MEHB221 - FLUIDS MECHANICS LAB

(FORMAL REPORT)

EXP. TITLE : .

AUTHOR : .

SID : .

SECTION : GROUP :

INSTRUCTOR : .

Performed Date Due Date* Submitted Date

*Late submission penalty: Late 1 day: 10%, Late 2 days: 20%, Late 3 days: 30%, More than 3 days: 50%

1
Table of content

No. Contents Page NO.

1 Title/ Cover Page 1
2 Table of Content 2
3 Abstract 3
4 Introduction 4-5
5 Methods 6
6 Data, Observations and Results 7-10
7 Discussions 11
8 Conclusions 12
9 Refrences 13
10 Appendices 14

2
Abstract

Venturi meters are widely used in the industry to calculate the flowrate and velocity of fluids.
Thus it is important for us as future engineers to learn the working principle of venturi meter.
The main purpose for us when we carrying out this experiment is actually to measure the
discharge flow rate and also to lean the working principle and characteristics of a venturi meter.
We learned that venturi meter works based on the Bernoullis theorem and thus Bernoullis
equation is a fundamental part of the calculations.
We did our calculations based on the data we obtained from the experiment but our final C
value of water is different from the theoretical value. This is due to the fact the problems and
errors we encountered when the experiment was being carried out. We have stated all the
reasons below and also showed our sample calculations in this report to justify our calulcations.
The graphs obtained we based on our findings and thus the graph is not perfect as it resembles
our findings.
Overall we learnt a lot by carrying out this experiment and we did manage to fulfill the true
purpose of this experiment. We are sure this will be very helpful for us in the future once we
enter the working field after graduating.

3
Introduction (Objective + Theory)

A) Objective: The main objective for which this experiment is carried out is to measure the
discharge and also to investigate the characteristic of a Venturi meter.

B) Theory: When using a venturi meter it is used to measure the flowrate of an

incompressible fluid. The middle part of the pipe is narrower compared to the left and right
part which a are equal in size. Thus it can be said as the convergent-divergent pipe. The cross-
sectional area at the upstream section 1 is a1. At the throat section 2 is a2, and any other
arbitrary section n is aN. Piezometer tubes at these sections register h1, h2 and Hn as shown in
the diagram below.

By assuming there will be no loss of energy along the pipe, and also the velocity is constant
across each of the sections considered, then the Bernoullis theorem states that

Where u1, u2 and un are the velocities of flow through section 1, 2, and n. The equation of
continuity is
u1a1 = u2a2 = unan = Q

Q denotes the volume flow or discharge rate.

Substituting in equation (1) for u1 from equation (2)

4
Thus solving this equation for U2 leads to

So that the discharge rate, from equation becomes:

But truth to be told, since no experiment is perfect there is some energy loss between sections
1 and 2, and the velocity will not be constant across either of these sections. Consequently,
measured values of Q usually falls a bit short of the calculated from equation (3) and it is
necessary to allow for this discrepancy by writing:

C is known as the coefficient of the meter, whereby maybe it can be established by experiment.
The value may vary slightly from one meter to another but it usually lies in between the range
of 0.92 till 0.99.

The ideal pressure distribution along the convergent-divergent pipe may be seen from
Bernoullis equation 1 to be given by

To calculate and also in order to compare the experiment values with the calculated values, it is
easier to express (hn h1) as a fraction of the velocity head at the throat of the meter which is:

5
Methods

We first connected the plug to power supply to turn on the venturi meter. Then we fully
opened the flow control valve which is located on the right side of the hydraulic bench. This is
to allow the water to start flowing. After that the discharge valve was also fully opened. Then,
we switched on the hydraulic bench pump by pressing the black button which was located on
the right side of the hydraulic bench. Once this is done, water starts flowing through the venturi
meter. We ensured the water flows for a while through the system to clear out any dirt or
bubbles present in the venture meter. Then after a while, we closed the discharge valve. Once
closed, all the manometers displayed the same level of water reading. We recorded this in our
result sheet as the total head of the system. Then, to set the water level of manometer tube C
at 10mm, we adjusted the discharge valve slowly. Once the water level reaches 10mm, we
recorded the required values of the manometer tubes in our result sheet. We then took the
PVC tube and placed into the drain hole to measure the time taken for the water to reach 5
litres. We recorded the time taken using a stopwatch. Once the water level reaches 5 litres, we
quickly took out the PVC tube to let the water flow into the tank again. Once water flows, we
once again closed the discharge valve slightly to obtain a different flow rate which is done by
increasing the water level of manometer tube C by a further 10 mm. Then the water levels of
the piezometer tubes labeled A and C were recorded in table 3 on our result sheet. Once again
we placed the PVC tube into the drain hole and we measured the time taken for the water level
to reach 5 litres. Once done, we recorded the value and let the water flow into the sump tank.
We then kept increasing the water level of manometer tube C each time by 10mm to obtain an
additional five sets of water level reading which had A and C with different flow rates. Once all
required values are obtained we switched off the hydraulic bench pump by pressing the red
button on the right side of the hydraulic bench. We then closed the flow control and discharge
valve before turning off the main power supply.

(SAMPLE IMAGE OF VENTURI METER)

6
Data, Observations and Results

Total Head = 120 mm = 0.125 m

Inlet diameter, d1 = 26mm = 0.026 m
Inlet area, a1 = 530.9 mm2 = 5.309x10-4 m
Throat diameter,d2 = 16 mm = 0.016 mm
Throat area,a2 = 201.1 mm2 = 2.011x10-4 m

Table 1 : Ideal Pressure Distribution

Piezometer Diameter of Distance D2 / dn (a2 / a1)2 (a2 / a1)2 - (a2 / an)2

tube No. (n) cross section from the
(dn) inlet (xn)
A (1) 26.00 60.00 0.6154 0.1435 0
B 21.60 83.00 0.7407 0.1435 -0.1577
C (2) 16.00 105.0 1.0000 0.1435 -0.8565
D 20.00 148.6 0.8000 0.1435 -0.2662
E 22.00 166.4 0.7273 0.1435 -0.1364
F 26.00 21.50 0.6154 0.1435 0

Table 2: Measured Pressure Distribution

Tube Q = 0.3731 x 10-3 m3 / s
No. (u2)2 / 2g = 0.028 m

hn(mm) hn - hn-h1 / (u2)2 /

h1(mm) 2g
A (1) 35 -13 -0.4643
B 33 -25 -0.8929
C (2) 10 -57 -2.0357
D 20 -56 -2.000
E 25 -59 -2.1071
F 30 -61 -2.1786

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Table 3: Water Level of Piezometer tubes A(1) and C(2)

Qty t h1 h2 Q *10-4 (h1 h2) (h1 h2)1/2 Qideal

(L) (sec) (mm) (mm) (m3/s) (mm) (m1/2) (m^3/s)
5 35.16 48 20 1.4221 28 5.2915 1.6106
5 35.92 58 30 1.3920 28 5.2915 1.6106
5 36.4 67 40 1.3736 27 5.1962 1.5815
5 38.87 76 50 1.2863 26 5.0990 1.5520
5 40.31 84 60 1.2404 24 4.8990 1.4911
5 44.2 91 70 1.1312 21 4.5826 1.3948

Table 4: Coefficient of Venturi Meter

Experimental Q *10-4 Ideal Q *10-4 C Percentage

Error (%)
(m3/s) (m3/s)
1.4221 1.6106 0.8830 11.70
1.3920 1.6106 0.8643 13.57
1.3736 1.5815 0.8685 13.15
1.2863 1.5520 0.8288 17.12
1.2404 1.4911 0.8319 16.81
1.1312 1.3948 0.8110 18.90

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Sample Calculation

From table 1,
Taking piezometer tube C:
d2 / dn = 16.00 / 16.00
=1
(a2 / a1)2 = [(d22/4)/(d12/4)]2
= (2.011/5.304)2
= 0.1435

(a2 / a1)2 - (a2 / an)2

= 0.1435 (2.011 x 10^-4 / 2.011 x 10^-4)2
= 0.1435 1
= -0.8565

From table 2,

Q = a2 {2g (h1 h2) / [ 1 (a2 / a1)2]}

= (201.1 x 10-6 ) x (1.8553)
=0.3731 x 10-3m3/s

u2 = 2g(h1 h2) / 1 (a2/a1)2

= 2(9.81) ( 0.048 0.020 )/( 1 - 0.1435 )
= 0.8010 m/s

u22/2g = (0.0048-0.0020)
= 0.028m

Taking piezometer C:
(hn-h1)/(u22/2g) = -2.0357

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From table3,

The flow rate was calculated as follows,

Using V = 5L and t = 44.77s
Q = V/t
= 0.005/35.16
=1.422 x 10-4 m3/s

(h1-h2)1/2 = 281/2
= 5.2915 m1/2

For ideal discharge flow rate,

Q = a2 [ 2g(h1-h2) / [1-(a2/a1)2]
= (2.011 x 10-4) x (0.801)
= 1.611 x 10-4 m3/s

From Table 4,

The coefficient meter,

C* = Q

a2 [ 2g(h1-h2) / [1-(a2/a1)2]

= 1.4221 x 10^-4 m3/s

(2.011x10-4)(0.801)

= 0.8830

Percentage Error,
% = 1.6106 x 10^-4 - 1.4221 x 10^-4
1.6106 x 10^-4 X 100%
= 11.70%

10
Discussions

By carrying out this experiment we successfully managed to measure the discharge rate also
we learned about the characteristic of a Venturi Meter. Despite following all steps in the end
we only got C value of 0.8830 but the value of coefficient of water, C should be in between the
range 0.92 to 0.99. This is due to a number of reasons which occurred when the experiment
was being carried out.
When we closed the discharge valve, the level of water in the manometer tubes were too low.
Thus we had to repeat the step again and again till the water level reached a suitable level.
Besides there were air bubbles present in the venturi meter and tubes so we had to let the
water flow for a longer period of time to get rid of those air bubbles. All the reasons stated
above caused us major problems during the experiment which may explain the fact that we
couldnt obtain the desired C value ( Coefficient of water). Because of this our percentage error
value also it is quite high which is more than 10%. Furthermore, when we opened the drain
after measuring the time taken for the water to reach 5 litres , the water level in manometer
tubes also went down and we had to start the experiment all over again. With the aid of lab
instructor we later realized this is due to the total capacity of the tank which can only hold 5
litres of water. So we had to quickly open the drain once water level reached 5 litres to avoid
the water level in manometer tubes from going down.
When the graph of hn-h1 / (u2)2 / 2g versus xn was plotted in Microsoft excel we noticed that
the graph was not in the desired shape. The values were not evenly distributed and this is due
to the problems we faced when the experiment was carried out. It also might be due to the fact
that air bubbles trapped inside were not cleared out properly by us. Moreover the graph of C
versus ideal flow was also not perfect. This is also due to the problems we faced during
experiment and also because our C value is not the ideal range between 0.92 to 0.99.

11
Conclusions

Overall, we did manage to carry out the experiment successfully by following all the steps as
we did fulfill the true purpose of this experiment by learning how to measure the discharge
flow rate and also learning the working principles along with the characteristics of a Venturi
Meter. Although we couldnt obtain the desired ideal C value because of the problems we faced
during the experiment, we did manage to do our calculations correctly based on the data we
obtained after the experiment. The graphs too were not perfect as the results are directly
related to the graph. In the end, it was a great experience for us as we managed to learn a lot
regarding the venturi meter and also we are thankful to our lab instructor who helped us all the
way and was willing to guide us whenever we approached him.

12
Refrences

Internet:

Venturimeter Principle, Construction and Working with Diagram.2016.

http://www.mechanicalbooster.com/2016/06/venturimeter-principle-construction-working-
diagram.html

Book:

Bruce R. Munson.2009.Fundementals of Fluid Mechanics.6rh Ed: Don Fowley, pp.119-122

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Appendices

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