SAINT LOUIS COLLEGE

City of San Fernando

Activity Manual in Hydraulics

Name:_______________________________________ Group No.:_______________________

Course and Year:_______________________________ Date Performed:__________________
Schedule:_____________________________________ Date Submitted:___________________

Activity No. 2

DISCHARGE THROUGH AN ORIFICE (FALLING HEAD METHOD)

I. OBJECTIVE: To conduct an experiment on orifice and also determine the coefficient of discharge of the
orifice by falling head method.

II. APPARATUS: Tank fitted with orifice, collecting tank, stop watch, ruler and/or meter stick

III. THEORY:

The coefficient of discharge is the ratio of the actual discharge and the theoretical velocity.
The coefficient of discharge may be obtained with great accuracy by measuring the quantity of water
flowing from an orifice of known dimensions in a given time and determining the ratio between this
discharge and the theoretical discharge. Since in practice it is usually the discharge from orifices that
is required, it is the coefficient of discharge that is of greatest value to engineers. An average value of
the coefficient of discharge is about 0.6. It is not a constant, but varies with the head and also with
the shape and size of the opening. Sharpe-edged orifices provide an accurate means of measuring
small rates of discharge.

Another way to measure or calculate the coefficient of discharge of a certain orifice is by

falling head method. The coefficient of discharge is measured using the following formula:

Cd 
2 As
tA 2g
 H1  H 2 
where:

Cd = coefficient of discharge
As = cross-sectional area of the tank
t = time required to lower the height of water in the tank
A = area of the orifice
G = gravitational acceleration
H1 = initial height of water
H2 = final height of water
IV. PROCEDURE:

1. Measure the diameter of the orifice and calculate its area (A).
2. Measure also the plan dimensions of the orifice tank and calculate its cross-sectional area (As).
3. Fill the tank with water to certain height and record it as the initial height, H1.
4. Open the orifice and record the time, t, to lower the head to a desired final height of water, H 2. Collect the
water being discharged in the orifice using the collecting tank.
5. Calculate the coefficient of discharge of the orifice using the formula above.
6. The above procedure is repeated for different values of H1 and H2.

V. DATA AND RESULTS

Diameter of the orifice:__________________mm

Area of the orifice____:__________________mm2
Plan dimension of the tank:_______________
Cross-sectional area of the tank:___________ m2

Time Initial Final Height Coefficient of

(seconds) Height (H1), (H2), m Discharge (Cd)
m

Average

Computations:
VI. EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP
VII. QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS

1. What are the factors that affect the value of the coefficient of discharge? How do they affect the value of the
coefficient of discharge? Explain briefly.

2. A tank which is a frustum of a cone having its bases horizontal and vertical axis is 3 m. high and is filled with
water. It has a diameter of 2 m. at the top and 1 m. at the bottom. The bottom contains an orifice whose
average coefficient of discharge maybe taken as 0.61. If the diameter of the orifice is 76 mm, find the time to
empty the tank.
 3. A swimming pool 15 m long, 10 m wide, and 3 m deep at one end and 1.6 m on the other end is fitted with a
drain pipe 200 mm in diameter at the lowest part of the pool. Compute the time required to drain the full
content of the pool assuming C = 0.80.

VIII. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Note: You don’t need to report on Friday, September 21, 2018 for our classes. Review well for your Prelim Exam. God Bless!