Name: Carlo Angelo V.

Amido Course & Year: BSME - 4

ME 414E
Instrumentation and Control Engineering
Practical Activity No. 6

Title: Liquid Flow Measurements

Objectives:
1. To be able to know the different instruments used in the liquid flow measurement.
2. To be able to understand how these instruments operate.
3. To be able to compare the results of these instruments.

Apparatus:
1 pc Cylindrical Container, 200L capacity
1 pc Venturi-meter
1 pc U-tube Manometer
1 unit Rectangular Weir
1 pc Plastic Container, 20L capacity

Procedure:
1. You are going to determine the rate of water flow in the given system as shown in the
figure.
 2. Fill the cylindrical container with water to its full level. Allow the water to flow at the
end of the pipe by opening the valve for 30 seconds to fill up the pipeline, then close the
valve. Replace the discharged water in the cylindrical tank.
3. Take the reading of the water level at the container.
 Height of water at full tank (h1) = 828mm (0.828m)
4. Open the discharge valve and take the reading of the water level at the container after one
(1) minute.
 Height of water after one (1) minute (h2) = 230mm (0.230m)
5. Determine the rate of water flow of the system.
𝐴ℎ
𝑄=
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
Where: 𝐴 = 0.25𝜋(𝐷𝑐𝑦𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟)2
= 0.25𝜋(0.65158)2
𝐴 = 0.3334𝑚2

0.3334(0.828 − 0.230)
𝑄=
60
𝑸𝟏 = 𝟑. 𝟑𝟐𝟑𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟑 𝒎𝟑 /𝒔𝒆𝒄

6. Refill the cylindrical container with water to its full level with the discharge valve closed.
7. Open the discharge valve and fill the 20-liter container and take the time to fill the
container. (Note: the 20-liter container was changed into a 12-liter container)
8. What’s the flow rate? Compare your result with that obtained in procedure #5.
V = 12L (0.012m3)
Time (t) = 13.14 sec
𝑉
𝑄=
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
0.012
=
13.14
𝑸𝟐 = 𝟗. 𝟐𝟑𝟏𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟒 𝒎𝟑 /𝒔𝒆𝒄
- The rate of discharge obtained in procedure no.5, using the area of the cylinder and the
difference in the height of the water in the cylinder after the discharging, has a higher value
compared to that of the rate of discharge in procedure no.8, which was obtained using the
volume of the container and the time it took to fill the container. With this, one could say that
procedure no.5 is a more accurate process, in obtaining the rate of discharge, than procedure
no.8.
9. Repeat procedure #6 and connect the water filled U-tube manometer to the venturi-meter
with one end at the high pressure side and the other end at the low pressure side.
10. Open the discharge valve and take the manometer reading.
11. Determine the rate of water flow using the venturi meter reading.
Inside diameter of the inlet (D1) = 0.03810m
Inside diameter of the discharge (D2) =0.03640m
Height difference of the high and low pressure sides (h) = 0.61m

𝐴1 = 0.25𝜋(𝐷1 )2
= 0.25𝜋(0.03810)2
𝐴1 = 1.14𝑥10−3 𝑚

𝐴2 = 0.25𝜋(𝐷2 )2
= 0.25𝜋(0.03640)2
𝐴2 = 1.04𝑥10−3 𝑚

𝐴1 𝐴2
𝑄 = 𝐶𝑑 𝑥 √2𝑔ℎ
√(𝐴1 )2 − (𝐴2 )2

(1.14𝑥10−3 )(1.04𝑥10−3 )
= 0.975 𝑥 √2(9.81)(0.61)
√(1.14𝑥10−3 )2 − (1.04𝑥10−3 )2

𝑸𝟑 = 𝟖. 𝟓𝟔𝟓𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟑 𝒎𝟑 /𝒔𝒆𝒄

12. Repeat procedure #6 and open the discharge valve.

13. Measure the height of water over the weir.
Change in height of water over the weir (∆h) = 0.025m

14. Determine the rate of water flow using the weir data.
2
𝑄4 = 3 𝑏√2𝑔ℎ3

Where: b = 0.130m
2
= (0.130)√2(9.81)(0.025)3
3
𝑸𝟒 = 𝟏. 𝟓𝟏𝟕𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟑 𝒎𝟑 /𝒔𝒆𝒄
 15. Compare the results of the four methods used in these flow measurements. Which reading
has the highest accuracy? Why?

Rate of Discharge
0.009
0.008
0.007
Discharge (m3/sec)

0.006
0.005
0.004
0.003
0.002
0.001
0
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

- Based on the computed discharge and the graph presented above, one can say that the most
accurate method out of the four methods used to compute for the rate of discharge is the
venturi meter (Q3), having a discharge of 𝟗. 𝟐𝟑𝟏𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟒 𝒎𝟑 /𝒔𝒆𝒄; followed by Q1`
(=𝟑. 𝟑𝟐𝟑𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟑 𝒎𝟑 /𝒔𝒆𝒄), Q4 ( = 𝟏. 𝟓𝟏𝟕𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟑 𝒎𝟑 /𝒔𝒆𝒄), and Q2 ( = 𝟗. 𝟐𝟑𝟏𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟒 𝒎𝟑 /
𝒔𝒆𝒄). The reason behind why Q3 was the most accurate method, out of the four, was
because it took into consideration the area of the inlet pipe and discharge pipe of the system.