Department of Technical Education

Andhra Pradesh
Name : V.N. Siva Raman
Designation : HCES
Branch : Civil Engineering
Institute : S.V. Govt. Polytechnic, Tirupati
Year/Semester : III Semester
Subject : Hydraulics
Subject Code : C304
Topic : Flow Of Fluids
Duration : 50 Minutes
Sub Topic : Practical application of Bernoulli's
theorem - pitot tube
Teaching Aids : PPT, Diagrams
Revised By : V. Srinivasa Rao, Lecturer, DAGPT,
Ongole
9C304.22 1
Objectives

On completion of this session, you would be able to

understand
• The concept of pitot tube

• Use of pitot tube

• Energy conversion inside a pitot tube

• Solving problems on pitot tube

9C304.22 2
Recap

In the previous sessions, you have learnt in detail

about
• Applications of Bernoulli theorem

• Venturimeter and its applications

• Orifice meter and its applications

• Various types of problems on venturimeter

• Various types of problems on Orifice meter

9C304.22 3
Pitot Tube

Fig.1 Pitot Tube Under Ship

9C304.22 4
Pitot Tube

Fig 2: Pitot Tube In front of Submarine

9C304.22 5
 Pitot Tube
• A simple Pitot tube is a glass tube bent at right angles at one
end.
• The bent end is placed in the flowing liquid such that it faces the
motion of the stream.

Fig . 3

• The Pitot tube is used for measurement of velocity in open

channels, streams and rivers .
9C304.22 6
Consider a point A on any stream line where the velocity is v0 .
As the liquid strikes the point B in Pitot tube nose the liquid
Ps
enters the tube and rises to a height .
w

All the kinetic energy of the flow is co nverted int o pressure head.

The pressure at B is called stagnation pressure.

The height of the liquid above the force surface is equal to the
velocity head in the stream approaching the tube.

9C304.22 7
Let po  static pressure in the un  distributed flow at A
vo  Velocity at A
ps  stagnation pressure at B
Applying Bernoulli 's equation to the point s A and B which are in
the same line.
po v p
 o 0  s  0 0 ( as z1  z 2  0)
w 2g w
vo 2 ps po
 
2g w w
p p 
vo  2g  s  o 
w w 
ps po
If  h
w w
9C304.22 8
vo  2g h
• In most of the cases the flow is turbulent and there is
uncertainty in the static pressure measurement.

• The velocity from the Pitot tube is higher than the actual
velocity.

• Hence the equation has to be multiplied by a co-efficient K

which ranges form 0.97 to 1.

• K can be determined from Moody’s formulae for pipe flow:

 v 
K  1  0.15 1  
 v max 
where v is the velocity of flow.
9C304.22 9
 Velocity of Flow In a Pipe by Pitot Tube
• To find the velocity in a pipe by a Pitot tube the following
arrangements are adopted:

1) Pitot tube along with vertical piezometer tube as shown in the

below figure

Fig . 4

9C304.22 10
2) Piezometer connected with Pitot tube as shown in the below fig:

Fig . 5

9C304.22 11
3) Pitot tube connected with ‘U’ tube differential manometer as
shown in fig:

Fig . 6

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Fig.7 Pitot Static Tube
9C304.22 13
4) Pitot static tube which consists of two circular concentric
tubes one inside the other with some annular space in
between as shown in the below fig:

Fig . 5

9C304.22 14
Problems
1.A Pitot static tube having a co-efficient of 0.98 is place at the
centre of a pipe line in which Benzene is flowing a manometer
attached to the Pitot tube contains mercury and Benzene and
shows a reading of 10 cm. Calculate the velocity at the centre
line of the pipe.
S 
Sol : h  x  h 1
 Sf 
10  13.60 
h  1
100  0.88 
10 12.72
h 
100 0.88
127.20
h  1.445 m of Benzene
88
9C304.22 15
V K 2gh

V  0.98  2  9.81  1.445

V  0.98  19.62  1.445

V  5.15 m / sec

9C304.22 16
2. A horizontal pipe consists of a transition from 15 cm. diameter

to 7.5 cm diameter. A piezometer is erected in 15 cm section

and pitot tube is placed at the centre of 7.5 cm section. The

difference in water levels in the piezometer and pitot tube is

60 cm.

Calculate the flow in the pipe neglecting the losses given

that velocity at the centre is the same as mean velocity:

9C304.22 17
Sol: Take two points :

1) at the point before the pitot tube

2) within the tube

Applying Bernoulli 's equation to the po int s 1 and 2 and taking

central line of the pipe as datum.
p1 v12 p2 v 22
  
w 2g w 2g
p2 p1
But   0.6
w w
p1 v12 p 
    1  0.6   0 ( v 2  0)
w 2g w 
9C304.22 18
 v12
 0.6
2g

(OR )

v  2  9.81  0.6
v  3.432 m / sec

Q  a1 v1

 (0.15) 2  3.432
4
Q  0.0607 m 3 / sec
or
Q  60.7 litres / sec .
9C304.22 19
3. A pitot – static tube placed in the centre of a 200 mm pipe line,
has one orifice pointing up stream and the other perpendicular to
it. If the pressure difference between the two orifices is 40 mm
of water when the discharge through the pipe is 1365 litres per
minute. Calculate the coefficient of the pitot tube. Take the
mean velocity in the pipe to be 0.83 of the central velocity.

1365 10 3
Sol : Q
60

Q  0.02275 m 3 / sec

The mean velocity of flow is

Q
V
A 9C304.22 20
 Q 0.02275
V   0.724 m / sec
A 2
  200 
4  1000 

V 0.724
Central velocity    0.872 m / sec
0.83 0.83
Pr essure difference h  40  10 3 m
The actual velocity in pitot tube is given by
VC 2gh

0.872  C 2  9.81  40  10 3
C  0.984
 Coefficient of pitot tube C  0.984
9C304.22 21
Summary

In this session, you have learnt in detail about

• The concept of pitot tube

• Use of pitot tube

• Energy conversion inside a pitot

• Solving problems on pitot tube

9C304.22 22
Quiz

1) The energy conversion inside a pitot tube is

a. potential to kinetic

b. kinetic to potential

c .kinetic to pressure energy

d. potential to pressure

9C304.22 23
Quiz
2. Which type of pitot tube is used to find velocity through

pipes

a. ordinary pitot tube

b. inverted pitot tube

c. prandolts pitot tube

d. moody pitot tube

9C304.22 24
Quiz
3. Pitot tube is used to find

a. velocity in pipes

b. velocity in streams

c. Discharge through pipes

d. discharge through streams

9C304.22 25
 Frequently Asked Questions
1) A horizontal pipe consists of a transition from 20 cm.
diameter to 15 cm diameter. A piezometer is erected in 20
cm section and pitot tube is placed at the centre of 15cm
section. The difference in water levels in the piezometer and
pitot tube is 90 cm.

Calculate the flow in the pipe neglecting the losses given

that velocity at the centre is the same as mean velocity:

9C304.22 26
Frequently Asked Questions
2. A pitot – static tube placed in the centre of a 250 mm pipe line,

has one orifice pointing up stream and the other perpendicular

to it. If the pressure difference between the two orifices is 50

mm of water when the discharge through the pipe is 1500 litres

per minute. Calculate the coefficient of the pitot tube. Take

the mean velocity in the pipe to be 0.83 of the central velocity

9C304.22 27