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CourseCode:MIET2422

CourseName:FluidMechanicsofMechanicalSystems

ExperimentTitle:MeasurementofAirflow

LabInstructor:DrVipinDube

Labvenue:Building56Level2Room30

Name:IbrahimElnour

S/N:s3382616

DateofLab:11/08/16

DueDate:18/08/16

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Abstract
InthisreportitisillustratedaboutthemeasurementofAirflow.Airflowistheamount
(volume)ofAirthatgoesthroughaspecificmethodofcontraptionsperunitoftime.
MeasuringtheAirflowholdsimmenseimportanceinengineeringpracticalapplications.Itis
oftenmeasuredwithadevicecalledairflowmeterandthatisadevicethatutilisesvarious
differentfundamentals.Theonesmostcommonlyfoundinindustrialandreallife
environmentarerequiredaresimplewhicharebasedonthepressurechangefromputting
obstaclesinthewayoftheAirfloworachangeinductscrosssectionalarea,orificeflow
andventurimetersarewidelyused.Themostcommoninstrumentusedformeasuringthe
velocityatapointinafluidisaPitotstatictube.Theobjectiveofthislabistoanalysethe
measurementmethodsandtheuseofBernoullisequationandthecontinuityequation.

IntroductionandObjectives
Measurementofvolumeflowrateorvelocityatapointisessentialinmanyengineering
applications(bothlaboratoryandrealworldenvironments).Examplesincludeproviding
informationforplantprocesscontrol,determiningtheairflowrateinanengineintakemanifold
fortheEngineControlUnit(ECU),ormeasurementoftheairspeedofanaircraft.Usuallyadevice
calledaFlowMeterisusedtodeterminethevolumeflowrateofafluid.Flowmeterscanutilise
manydifferentprinciples(vortexshedding,forcedcoolingfromheatedsurfacesetc.)butthemost
commonsimpletypesarebasedonthepressurechangefromeitheranobstructionintheflowor
achangeinductcrosssectionalarea.Venturimetersandorificeflowmetersarewidelyused.

Formeasurementofvelocityatapointinafluidthemostcommoninstrumentisapitotstatic
tube.Pointmeasurementscanbeintegratedacrossaplanetogivevolumeflowrates.Detail
descriptionabouttheseflowmeterscanbefoundinanystandardfluidmechanicsbooks.The
purposeofthislaboratoryclassistofamiliariseyourselveswithmeasurementmethods,
includingtheuseofBernoullisequationandthecontinuityequation.

Thefollowingcharacteristicsfortheuseofanyobstructionflowmetersaredesirable:

Accurate,reliableandrepeatablemeasurements
Smallenergylossinthesystem,sothattheintrusiveeffectonthesystembeing
measuredissmall
Inexpensive
Minimumspacerequirement

Theventuriflowmetersatisfiesthefirsttworequirementsandtheorificeflowmetersatisfiesthe
lasttworequirements.Venturimetersarecomprisedofareductioninthepipearea,followedbya
shortsectionofstraight(smallerdiameter)pipefollowedbyagradualexpansion,seeFigure3.
Thechangesinductareaaregradualsothattheflowdoesnotseparate(i.e.breakawayfrom

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theductwalls).Incontrast,orificeplatesareplateswithcircularholesthataresmallerthanthe
ductdiameterandtheseareplacedacrosstheduct,forcingtheflowtoseparate.

Orificesplatesareoneofthecheapestandeasiestmeteringdevicestoinstallsincetheorificecan
besimplyclampedbetweenpipeflanges.Asorificeflowmetersinduceastrongflowseparation
andtheirenergylossesaresignificantcomparedtoventuriflowmeters.Infact,duetothelosses,
theactualvolumeflowratepassedforthepressuredropwillbelessthanthetheoreticalvalue.
Therefore,aparametercalledDischargeCoefficient,CDisintroducedtoaccountforthis
discrepancy.ThedischargecoefficientforcertaincasesisstandardisedbytheISO,ASMEand
BritishStandards.Complianceofanorificeflowmeterwithstandarddischargecoefficientsisoften
required.Therefore,inthisexperimentalwork,itisrequiredtoevaluatetheflowdischarge
coefficientsofanorificeflowmeterandcomparewithstandardcoefficientsandalsoVenturi.

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Equipment
TheAirflowDevelopmentsRigaductwithaconicalintake,acentrifugalfan,aPitotstatic
traverse,anorificeplateandventurimeter(seeFigure1).

APitotstatictubewithflexibleplastictubing(seeFigure2)

InclinableManometerseachwithathermometerandbarometer(tomeasuretheatmospheric
pressure)(seeFigure3).

Aflowcontroller(seeFigure4)

Figure1ExperimentalapparatustheAirflowDevelopmentsRig

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Figure2Closeupofpitotstatictube

Figure3Venturimeterandmanometers

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Figure4Methodofflowcontrolandorificeplate

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ExperimentalProcedure
Fortheexperiment,followthebelowmentionedsteps:

1. Measureandrecordthelocalvaluesofatmosphericpressureandtemperature.

2. ConnectthemanometerstomeasurethepressuredifferencesacrossthePitotstatictube,the
orificeplateandtheventurimeter.

Thisinvolvesconnectingtheplastictubesfromeachendofamanometer(oneendgoesfromthe
reservoirandtheotherfromthetopofthecorrespondinginclinedtube)tothetwopressuretaps
oneachinstrument.Thinkcarefullywhichendshouldbeconnectedtowhichandwhy.Ifinany
doubtaskthesupervisorsinceifyougetitwrongfluidwillgetintothetubesandthiswillresult
inseveredelayswhilstthetubesareclearedoutandthemanometersrefilledwithfluid.

3. Checkbasesofmanometersarelevelusingthespiritlevelsandlevellingscrews.
4. Checkangleofmanometerandrecordappropriatecorrectionfactor.
5. Checkthatmanometersarecorrectlyzeroed.

Themanometerreadingshouldbezerowhenthereiszeropressuredifferenceactingbetweenthe
twoinputs.

6. Switchonthefanwithcontroller(screwdamperattheductend)fullyclosed.

Byunscrewingthedamperyoucanvarytheflowratethroughtheduct.Notethatalinear
movementofthedamperdoesnotresultinlinearchangestotheflowrate

7. PositionthePitotstatictubeinthecentreoftheductandensureitisreasonablyalignedwith
theflow(byeyeissufficient)

TestOne: DeterminationofDischargeCoefficients

1. Estimatethevolumeflowrateforthefullyopendamperposition.

YoucandothisbymeasuringtheaverageflowspeedacrosstherectangularductusingthePitot
statictube.Youshouldtakereadingsatsixteenpointswhichlieattheintersectionoffourequally
spacedverticalandhorizontallinesacrosstheduct.Wecanthenusethesesixteenmeasured
pointstodeterminetheaveragevelocityintheductandfromthisdetermineanestimateofthe
ActualVolumeFlowRate, Q .
Act

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2. Evaluatetheflowdischargecoefficientoftheorificeflowmeterandtheventuriflowmeter,
andcomparethesewithstandardcoefficients.

Todothisyouwillneedtomeasurethepressuredifferenceacrosstheflowmeterinquestion,and
fromthisandgivendatadeterminetheTheoreticalVolumeFlowRate, Q .Discharge
Th

and Q
coefficientisthentheratiobetween Q .
Act Th

TestTwo: Comparisonofindicatedvolumeflowrates

1. Movethepitotstatictubeintothecentreoftheduct.Assumingthatthevelocityprofile
acrosstheductwillbethesameforallflowrateswemustfindacorrectionfactorto
determinetheaveragevelocityatthepitotstatictubefromthevelocityatthecentreofthe
duct.AswehavedeterminedtheaveragevelocityatFullyOpendamperpositioninTestOne
wecanusetheratioofthisandthevelocityatfullyopeninthecentrepositiontofindthe
correctionfactor,f.
f = VV

Therefore,forsubsequentmeasurementsaswevarythedamperpositionandchangetheflow
rate,wecanfindtheaveragevelocitywith: V = f V

2. RecordpressuredifferenceacrosseachmanometerforthePitotstatictube,theVenturiand
theOrificePlateforeightdamperpositionsthatyouthinkwillgiveapproximatelyequally
spacedflowrates(noteightequallyspacedpositionsofthedampersincetherelationship
betweenthepositionandflowrateisnotlinear).
3. Usingthedischargecoefficientsfoundintestone(above),determineandcomparethe
volumeflowratesindicatedbythethreedifferentflowmeters,namelythePitotstatictube,
theVenturi,andtheOrificePlate.

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Note:todothisforthePitotstatictube,youwillneedtouseyourdatatoestimatetheratio
betweenaverageflowspeedacrossthesectionandtheflowspeedatthecentreoftheduct.You
caneasilydothisbyleavingthefanrunningattheendoftestone,andsimplymovingthe
Pitotstatictubetothecentreoftheductandmeasuringthepressuredifferenceatthatpoint.

Methodology:
Inthisexperimentwedotwotests.

asmentionedaboveweneedtoestimatethevolumeflowrateforthefullyopendamperposition.
WecandothatbymeasuringtheflowspeedacrosstherectangularductusingthePitotstatictube
whiledoingthatweshouldbetakingreadingsateightpointswhichlieattheintersectionsoffour
equallyspacedverticalandhorizontallinesacrosstheductandthisshouldgiveustheestimateof
theactualVolumeflowrateQACT.

Afterthatweevaluatetheflowdischargecoefficientoftheorificeflowmeterandventuriflow
meterandcomparethesewithstandardcoefficients.Todothatwewillneedtomeasurethe
pressuredifferenceacrosstheflowmeterinquestionandfromthisgivendatadeterminethe
theoreticalvolumeflowrateQTHdischargecoefficientisthentheRatiobetweenQACTandQTH

Thenwemoveontotesttwoandintesttwowerecordthepressuredifferenceacrosseach
manometerforthepitotstatictube,theventuriandtheorificeplateforeightdamperpositions
thatwethinkwillgiveapproximatelyequalspacedflowratesandthenweusethedischarge
coefficientsfoundintestonewedetermineandcomparethevolumeflowratesindicatedbythe
differentflowmeters,namelythepitotstatictube,theventuri,andtheorificeplate.

SomeRelevantTheory
Ambientairdensity

AmbientairdensitymustbecalculatedusingIdealGasLaw.Airdensityatambienttemperatureis
givenbytheequation:
patmospheric
air = RT

Withthegasconstant,R,beingequalto287.4J/kgKforair,theabsolutetemperature,T,being
giveninKelvin(=temperatureinC+273),andtheatmosphericpressuregiveninPa,thedensity
willbeinkg/m3.

BernoullisEquation(ignoringanylosses)

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 V 21 V 22
p1 + 2 + gz1 = p2 + 2 + gz2

AirVelocity

ThismaybecalculatedforanypointintheflowbyappropriateuseoftheBernoulliequation.

ThisistheequationtobeusedwhenemployingaPitotstatictubetodeterminetheflowspeed.

2(ptotalp_static)
V = _air m/s

ContinuityEquation

Massflowrateacrossanysectionshouldbeconstantthroughtheduct

1V 1A1 = 2V A2

Sincethedensityisconstantinthiscase:

V 1A1 = V 2A2

(allalongtheduct)

VolumeFlowRate

Theactualvolumeflowrateacrossasectionoftheductisgivenbytheequation

= AV m3/s
Qact

Where V istheaverageflowspeedacrosstherelevantsectionoftheduct

TheoreticalVolumeFlowRate

Anyflowmeter(includingtheventuriandtheorificeplate)willindicateatheoreticalvolumeflow
,basedonarelevantmeasuredpressuredifferenceandareas.
rate, Q th

= A 2(p1p2)
Qth 2
A
(1( A2 ) )
1
2

Inthisequationsubscript1referstoasectionintheductupstreamoftheflowmeter.Forthe
venturiandorificeplate,subscript2referstothethroatsection,whichiswheretheflow
meterhasitsminimumarea.

TheaboveequationisdevelopedfromtheBernoulliequation,andassumesthatthereisno
energylossbetweensections1and2.However,thenatureoftherealflowinandaroundthe

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 isnotanaccurateestimateoftheactualvolume
flowmeterdoesleadtoenergylossandso Q th

calculatedwiththeaboveequationcanbeusedinpracticetoleadusto
flowrate.However, Q th

anestimateoftheactualvolumeflowrateifweknowthefluiddischargecoefficient,CD(defined
below).Thatis,thedischargecoefficientisacalibrationfactorthatallowsustoobtainatrue
valuefromatheoreticalapproach.

FluidDischargeCoefficient

Q
C D = Q act
th

=C Q
Q
act D th

Datayouwillrequireforthisexperiment:

Parameter Value
Ductinternaldiameter 140mm
Venturithroatinternaldiameter 89mm
Orificeplateinternaldiameter 108mm
Ductdimensions(perspexsection) 115mm(W)128mm(H)

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RawData
AtmosphericPressure 1019mp AmbientTemperature 23C

TestOne Pitotstaticmanometer Venturimanometer Orificeplatemanometer Damperposition

Varying reading reading reading (Rotation)
Pitotstatic
position

Units=mmH2O Units=mmH2O Units=mmH2O

Correctionfactor=0.2 Correctionfactor=0.2 Correctionfactor=0.2

1 9082 438432 41.040.5 FullyOpen

2 8583 443440 41.140.7 FullyOpen

3 8079 441439 40.940.4 FullyOpen

4 8885 441440 40.840.4 FullyOpen

5 10198 446439 40.840.3 FullyOpen

6 8785 440438 40.740.4 FullyOpen

7 8481 440438 40.840.2 FullyOpen

8 9189 440438 40.740.4 FullyOpen

9 105104 441440 40.940.5 FullyOpen

10 107105 441439 40.840.4 FullyOpen

11 10299 442439 40.940.2 FullyOpen

12 9997 440438 40.840.3 FullyOpen

13 115114 442438 41.040.3 FullyOpen

14 108107 443440 41.040.3 FullyOpen

15 106104 443439 41.640.6 FullyOpen

16 106104 442440 40.840.4 FullyOpen

TestTwo Pitotstaticmanometer Venturimanometer Orificeplatemanometer DamperPosition

Varying reading reading reading (Rotation)

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damper
position

1 9796 441438 40.740.4 FullyOpen

2 9491 416413 38.438.0 10

3 8382 356354 32.331.9 20

4 6057 255252 22.822.5 28

5 3534 142141 12.712.5 34

6 1816 7472 6.46.3 38

7 5 21 1.7 42

8 0 10 0 FullyClosed

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PressureDifference:

P=*g*h*sin()
Accordingtotheformulaabovewecancalculatethepressuredifferenceforthe12positions:

water=1000kg/m3

g=9.81m/s2

angle=??aswedon'tknowtheangleweareusingthecorrectionfactorwhichis(0.2)

h=(rawvalue)(correctionfactor)

example:

P=1000*9.81*8.6(0.2)/100*0.2=84.4pa

Pitotstaticmanometer Venturimanometer Orificeplatemanometer

Difference differnce Difference

Pa Pa Pa

84 427 400

82 433 401

78 432 399

85 437 399

98 434 398

84 431 398

81 431 397

88 432 398

103 432 399

104 432 398

99 432 398

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 96 431 398

113 432 399

106 407 399

103 433 403

103 433 397

Velocity:

UsingtheEquationabovewecandeterminethecorrespondingvelocityforeachposition:

Example:

u={2*84/1.214}=11.79m/s

ActualVolumeflowrate:
Aftermeasuringthevelocityoftheflow,wehavetofindthevolumeflowrateaccordingtothe
equationbelow:

Example:
AreaofRectangularduct=0 .01472m2
QAct=Au=0.01472*11.79=0.173m3 /s

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TheoreticalVolumeFlowRateanddischargecoefficient:
Then,wecalculatethetheoretical
volumeflowrateandthedischarge
coefficientbyusingtheformulas:

QTh(venturi)=0.00622*{(2*427)/(1.214*[10.00622^2/0.01542^2])}=0.180m^3/s
CD(venturi)=QAct/QTh=0.247/0.259=0.963

UsingtheEquationabovewecandeterminethecorrespondingvelocityforeachposition:

Example:

u={2*427/1.214}=26.53m/s

ActualVolumeflowrate:
Aftermeasuringthevelocityoftheflow,wehavetofindthevolumeflowrateaccordingtothe
equationbelow:

Example:
Area=0.00916m2
QAct=Au=26.53*0.00916=0.243m3 /s
3
QTH=0.1744M
/S

CD(ORIFICE)=1.3927

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Conclusion:

Inconclusiontotheexperimentandtheworkdoneinthisreportwefind
thatairflowmeasurementisextremelyimportantinmostofengineeringreallifeinstancessuch
astheaerospaceengineering,automotive,thetechnicalitiesrelatedtotheairconditioningas
wellasventilationevenotherheavyindustries.Meterscanhelpusmeasurethe
airflowandeverymeterhasitsownuniquecharacteristicsandlimitations.Nevertheless,thereis
anumberofwaystomeasuretheairflow.AndallofthemhelpusasEngineerswithourbuilding
ofenginesandaircrafts,modellingandstyling.

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