ARO 101L

Week No. 5 Pitot Tube

Schedule
Topic

Reading (textbook)

Assignment(s)

Week

Aerospace engineering general

discussion + History of aviation.

Ch. 1 all; 2.4, 2.6

1: 1-pg. Autobiography
2: History.

Aircraft nomenclature. Dimensional

analysis & unit conversions (handout)

2.1, 2.3. Handout:

nomenclature.

3. Dimensions and Unit

conversions

Ideal gas law, Properties of the

atmosphere. Manometers, Continuity.

Ch. 3 all; 4.1

4. Perfect gas law,

manometers, continuity

Overview of flow fields, aerodynamic

theories, S&C, Aeroelasticity

Handout

4.2 Aero Flows, S&C,

Aeroelasticity, Week #4
problems in handout

Ideal incompressible fluid flow theory

4.2, 4.3, 4.10, 4.11

5. Pitot tube, fluid flow

Lift. Dimensionless coefficients. Aircraft

and helicopter controls (handouts).

5.1-5.2, 5.4, 5.20

6. NACA airfoils;
calculation of lift

Aircraft design/construction. Build RC

models.

10.3-10.4

RTFM (Read the f*&%*#

manual) and build!

Fly models, measure speed, calculate CL.

5.3

7. Team engineering
Report

Generation of aerodynamic lift.

7.1, 7.18

8. Applied problems

10

Review, discussion and problem solving

Anything missed

9. (Study for final)

ARO 101-01 RC Model Teams

Momentum Equation

See derivation Section 4.3

Which way does the wind blow?

(dP/dx) is negative if x is
going from a high
pressure area to a low
pressure area

Wind
High
pressure
zone

Small box of air

Low
P + dP = P + (dP/dx) dx pressure
zone 4

Momentum Equation

Objective: Find a equation that relates the change in pressure with the change in
velocity
Assume: no friction (inviscid flow) & no gravity acting on the fluid & steady flow
(pressure does not fluxuate with time)
Derivation principle: F=ma of a box of air

F= P x A:

P + dP = P + (dP/dx) dx

Small box of air

P
dy

x dx

dz

Also: F = pressure (p) x area of the box of air (=dy x dz)

Eqn.( a) Net Force = p dy dz ( p+ (dp/dx) dx) dy dz
P
Eqn. (b) m = density (r ) x volume of the box of air (=dx x dy x dz)
a = change in velocity (dV) / change in time (dt) = dv/dt
V = Box of air movement in x direction with change in time
Then Eqn. (c) a = dV/dt = dV/dx x dx/dt = dV/dx x V

Momentum equation (also called Eulers equation):

Substitute above terms into F=ma get equation 4.8
Eqns. (a) = (b) (c)

dp = - r V dV

dP
dx

(Eqn. 4.8)
5

Bernoullis Equation Derivation

Objective: Derive an equation that relates the pressures and
velocities at 2 different points in the flow field to be used to measure
flight speed and other flow properties on an airfoil.
Assume density is constant, inviscid flow, isentropic (no heat
exchanged).
Derivation Principle: Momentum equation (4.8) integrated between 2
points in the flow along a streamline
1

See derivation Anderson page 133

Bernoullis equation
p2+ r V22/2 = p1 + rV12/2

(4.9a)

Any where in the flow:

p + r V2/2 = constant = P0 (total pressure)
6

Pitot Tubes

Video Drop Test Flight

Showing Pitot Tube & AOA Indicator

Pitot Tube Measures Air Speed

Homework Week 5
Problems 4.3, 4.6, 4.34, 4.35

10

Homework #5 Fluid Flow Worksheet 1 Pitot-Static Tube

1. This worksheet leads you through a virtual lab experiment with a Pitot tube connected to a manometer. The Pitot tube is
the most common device used for measuring airspeed. This particular tube is actually a Pitot-static tube, because the static
pressure ports are mounted on the tube as well. The tube points into the flow velocity, so that a stagnation point occurs on
the total pressure port at the front of the tube. For this experiment, the manometer is used to measure the difference
between total pressure (from the stagnation point) and static pressure. It is more common to use a differential pressure
gauge or a pressure transducer to measure this difference, but using the manometer gives you more practice with the
manometry equation. Understanding the physics and mathematics of this exercise will help you understand the workings of
airspeed indicating systems on aircraft.
2. Work this worksheet while seated at a computer using MS Office Excel. Draw a drawing in excel and label the station points.
Choose water as the manometer fluid and choose standard sea level density. Set the difference in manometer fluid
column heights, , to 1.000 ft.
3. Now use the manometry equation to predict the difference between total pressure and static pressure by hand, and use
Bernoullis equation to predict the true airspeed. Continue to populate the sheet, making comments. Be sure to list all the
assumptions that allow you to make these predictions. You need only list the assumptions the first time you apply them
Read Anderson (pages 116-121 in 4th ed., pages 130-135 in 5th ed.), or seek help from your instructor or another students.
Do the first one by hand and show your work on another sheet (staple it on the back of this sheet). The others can be
done either way, i.e using excel or by hand calculations.
Manometer Fluid

air density,
slug/ft3

Water

(look up Standard sea level)

ft
1.00

oil

0.002

1.60

mercury

0.0025

0.100

water

0.0015

0.500

water
water
water

0.0018
0.0013
0.0006

0.900
0.750
0.400

Ptotal - Pstatic
lb/ft2

True Airspeed
(ft/s)

(Do this by hand!)

11

Homework #5, Worksheet 2: Fluid Flow Exercise

1. This worksheet guides you the principals of manometry, conservation of mass, and conservation of momentum
(Bernoullis equation). The experiment involves a variable-area tube like that used in an earlier exercise, but with a manometer
connected to static ports in the walls of the tube at two different stream wise stations. The manometer measures variations in
fluid static pressures. They are caused by variations in flow velocity, which are caused by variations in the tube cross-sectional
area. Understanding and being able to predict the pressure changes that occur in a flowing fluid as it encounters an obstruction
or restriction to its flow path are essential to understanding how aerodynamic forces are generated.
2. Work this worksheet using MS Excel. Choose water as the manometer fluid and choose standard sea level density and
static pressure at station 1 (the area of station 1 should be set to 1.00 ft2). Set the velocity at station 1 to 100 ft/s and set the
area of station 2 to 0.500 ft2. Now use the continuity equation to predict the velocity at station 2 (by hand), Use Bernoullis
equation to predict the static pressure at station 2 (by hand), and the manometry equation to predict the difference between the
manometer column heights (again by hand!). Continue to follow the same steps, making comments or notes. Read Anderson
(pages 111-113 and 143-147 in 4th ed., pages 126-127 and 162-167 in 5th ed.), or seek help from your instructor or another
student. Now perform the calculations again for each of the remaining rows of the table, using formulas you derived by hand
for the first set of calculations. i.e. Do the first line by hand on another sheet then transfer your formulas in excel, (like the
same sheet as the worksheet 1 problem); if you dont know how to incorporate formulas in excel then the others rows may be
done either way.
Manometer
Fluid

air density , slug/ft3

P1,
lb/ft2

V1, ft/s

A2,
ft2

Water

(std. sea level)

(std. SL)

100

0.500

Oil

0.002

2000

200

0.800

Mercury

0.0025

1890

50.0

0.200

Water

0.0015

1000

80.0

0.300

Water

0.0018

1500

120

0.600

V2,
ft/s

P2,
lb/ft2

,
ft

12