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CHEMICAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY 1

CHE150-1L/B41

Experiment 3: Discharge Coefficient (Orifice Meter)


Mendoza, Theresa C1
1

Student, School of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Mapa Institute of Technology, Manila, Philippines

ABSTRACT
Two types of flow meters have been observed in this experiment; Area meter and head meter. Mass flow rate, rotameter
reading, and manometer reading are the axes used in generating a calibration curve for rotameter and orifice meter. It was
found that the curve of rotameter was more linear than orifice meter that has a square root relationship. Moreover, pressure
drop and discharge coefficient of the orifice was also calculated. Areas and velocities for both pipe and orifice were
computed for the needed values. Pressure drop was observed to be increasing with the mass flow rate. For pipe taps, the
pressure difference has been found to be really permanent loss and not orifice differential. However, discharge coefficient
had no trend with values 0.859, 0.863, 0.905, 0.817, 0.683 since the Reynolds number was large enough for it to be
independent of mass flow rate. The possible sources of error are the square root relationship itself and straight pipe that has
not been provided.
Keywords: Rotameter, Orifice Meter, Manometer Reading, Calibration Curve
1.

Introduction

Head meters comprise a class of devices for fluid flow

measurement including orifice plates, venturi tubes, weirs,

standard

sharp-edged

flumes, and many others. They change the velocity or the


direction of flow, creating a measurable differential
pressure in the fluid.
orifice consists of an
The orifice is the most common type of head meter. An

rately

drilled plate mounted

machined

between

and
two

orifice plate is inserted in the line, and the differential

flanges

with

pressure across it is measured (See figure 1.1). This section

hole

concentric plate with pressure profile

is concerned with the primary device; the orifice plate and

with pipe in which

the differential pressure connections. (Liptak, 1993)

it is mounted. The opening in the plate may be beveled on

the

Figure 1.1 Diagram of an orifice

the downstream side. Pressure taps above and below the


orifice plate are installed and are connected to a
manometer. The positions of the taps are arbitrary, and the

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coefficient of the meter will depend upon the position of

time. It also has an orifice which measures the amount of

the traps. Accuracy of the maximum reading can be assured

fluid flowing through a fixed area of constriction. The

when the position is located at vena contracta, minimum

amount of fluid flow was measured using weighing scale

cross-sectional area.

and stopwatch recorded the time.

(See Figure 1.2)


Experimentation
Initially, factors that are needed to meet the aim of
this experiment were identified. These factors are rotameter
reading, manometer reading, time, and mass of water. Mass
of the tank has been weighed since it is needed for the
computation of mass of water using weighing scale. The
rotameter valve was opened slowly until the reading has
become one and the plummet was assured to be stable.
As the plummet became stable, the discharge valve
Figure 1.2 Orifice Flow Meter

was opened. The water was allowed to flow inside the tank
for thirty seconds, recorded using stopwatch. The tank with
water was again weighed labeled as the mass of tank with

The reduction of the cross section of the flowing

water. The manometer reading and the temperature were

stream in passing through the orifice increases the velocity

also noted. Procedures were repeated with increasing

head at the expense of the pressure head, and the reduction

rotameter reading which has an increment of .5. Calibration

in the pressure between the taps is measured by the

curve for the orifice was generated from the data.

manometer. Bernoullis equation provides a basis for


correlating the increase in velocity head with the decrease
in pressure head. (Mccabe, 2006)
In this experiment, calibration curve for orifice

Note that the mass of water was measured by


subtracting the weight of the previous tank with water and
to the latest weighed mass of tank with water.

has been generated and the effect of increasing mass flow


rate of water to the coefficient of the discharge of the
orifice has been determined.
2.

Methodology

Materials and Equipment

3.

Results and Discussion

Table 3.1 shows the calculated data of mass for water


and the recorded time from stopwatch. From the
methodology, it has been explained how mass of water can

The materials and equipment that were utilized in this

be calculated. It can be observed that the mass of water

experiment are fluid-flow set-up with rotameter, orifice,

increased for every trial in this experiment. The reason

water tank, weighing scale, and stopwatch. The fluid-flow

behind this trend will be further discussed in the preceding

set-up is the main equipment used in this experiment. It has

part of this discussion.

a rotameter that measures the amount of fluid flow per unit

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For time in seconds, the exact time must be noted in


spite of what has been said in the procedure that the time

Figure 3.1 shows the calibration curve of the

should be in 30 seconds. The excess in time, whether it

rotameter. The curve represents the relationship of the mass

seem to be small, should be added into account and cannot

flow rate and rotameter reading which is directly

consider to be negligible. It is because this time was used in

proportional. As shown, it has a positive slope but is not

calculating values that is essential to the experiment.

quite linear which is unusual to the rotameter. If data from


table 3.2 was checked again, it can be observed that the

Mass of water, kg
3.5
4.3
4.5
4.7
4.85

Time, s
30.16
30.03
30
30.04
30.24

difference in the mass flow rate of trial 1 and 2 which is


0.027 was way greater that the difference of the rest which
just fall on the range of from 0.004-0.007.

Calibration Curve for Rotameter

Table 3.1 Noted and Calculated Data of Mass and


Time

3.5

One of the objective of this experiment is to generate a

2.5

calibration curve for the rotameter. This objective was met


by calculating the mass flow rate using equation 3.1 and

2
Rotameter Reading

1.5
1

getting the rotameter reading.

0.5

m=

mass of water
time

0
0.1

(Equation 3.1)

0.15

0.2

Mass Flow Rate (kg/s)

The tabulated data for the values of these two is shown


in table 3.2. The rotameter used in this experiment is
limited its reading to 3, so, the values of the rotameter

3.1 Calibration
Curve for
Rotameter
For theFigure
calibration
curve of orifice,
Table
3.3 shows the

reading were so close with an increment of just 0.5. Then,

values of mass flow rate and manometer reading which will

with these values, a calibration curve was able to generate

serve as the x- and y-axis. Manometer readings were the

with mass flow rate as the x-axis and rotameter reading as

ones from the manometer recorded every trial.

the y-axis.

Mass flow rate, kg/s

Mass flow rate, kg/s


0.116
0.143
0.150
0.156
0.160

Rotameter Reading
1
1.5
2
2.5
3

Table 3.2 Values of Mass Flow Rate and


Rotameter Reading

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0.116
0.143
0.150
0.156
0.160

Manometer Reading,
cmHg
0.2
0.3
0.3
0.4
0.6

Table 3.3 Values of Mass Flow Rate and


Manometer Reading

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Figure 3.2 shows the calibration curve for orifice.


Compared to the curve of the rotameter, the curve of orifice
shows no linearity. This is because one of the

Specific Gravities
Water
1.0
13.534
Mercury

characteristics of the head meter is the square root


relationship. One of its consequences is that it develops a
head or differential pressure. A simple linear readout of this
differential pressure expands the high end of the scale and
compreeses the low end in terms of flow. Errors in the
more complex square root transducer tend to decrease

Diameters, inch
Orifice, do
0.60
Pipe, d1
1.049

Table 3.4 Properties of fluids, orifice and pipe


Since the diameters of the pipe were given, areas of the
orifice can be calculated using the formula for the area of
the circle which is

S= d 2
4

overall accuracy. (Liptak, 1993)

Calibration Curve for Orifice


0.8

Area of the orifice was 1.824 x 10 -4 while for the pipe is


5.576 x 10-4 in square meters.

can also be computed

for it is just the ratio of diameter of orifice over the


diameter of pipe which results to 0.572. Density was
known by interpolation to the temperature of 30 degrees
Celsius and was found to be 995. 895 kg/m3

0.6
Manometer Reading 0.4
0.2
0
0.1

0.15

0.2

Mass Flow Rate (kg/s)

Table 3.5 shows the values of the velocity of the pipe,


velocity of orifice, pressure drop, and the discharge
coefficient (left to right column). These are computed using
equations 3.2 3.5.

U 1=
Figure 3.2 Calibration Curve for Orifice
Aside from generating a calibration curve, this experiment

m1
S1

U 2=

also ask to find or compute for the Discharge Coefficient of

(Equation 3.3)

U1
4

(Equation 3.4)

the orifice. The discharge coefficient can be calculated


using the formula in equation 3..

C o=

P
g
=R m ( Hg 1)( )

gc

Uo

2 gc

( P )

(Equation 3.2)

Properties of the fluid, orifice and the pipe were given in


table 3.4. They will serve as the initial properties needed

U1
0.209
0.258
0.270
0.281
0.288

Uo
0.639
0.787
0.825
0.859
0.880

(Equation 3.5)

((-P)/)
0.247
0.371
0.371
0.494
0.740

Co
0.859
0.863
0.905
0.817
0.683

to solve for the unknown properties for the discharge


coefficient of the orifice.

Experiment 3 Group No. 3 May 17, 2016

Table 3.5 Data Calculated using formulas


given in the manual

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As for discharge coefficient, the results show no trend.

constant, straight pipes might not have been provided

It is not increasing nor decreasing as the readings increase

enough to both upstream and downstream of the orifice to

or the mass flow rate increases. The reason behind this is

ensure a flow pattern that is normal and undisturbed. This

that the Reynolds number is greater than 10000, hence, it is

can cause abnormal distribution in velocity and will affect

independent of or Reynolds Number. The value must lie

the coefficient in an unpredictable way. (Mccabe, 2006)

just between the 0.6 and 0.7. Since mass flow rate is one of
the parameter of Reynolds number, discharge coefficient of
the orifice is also independent of the mass flow rate. Most
of the values do not lie between 0.6 and 0.7 and therefore
error exists. (Kharagpur, n.d)

4.

Conclusion

Two kinds of flow meters have been observed in this


experiment. Calibration curve for rotameter, an area meter
and for orifice meter, head meter was compared. It was
found that rotameter has a linear curve rather than the head

From table 3.1 and 3.3, the mass flow rate can be
observed together with the pressure drop in table 3.4. For
an increase in rotameter reading, the mass flow rate

meter. The characteristic of a head meter which is square


root relationship explains the curve of the orifice.
Quadratic equations always have curves and not lines.

increases as the pressure drops. The major disadvantage of


the orifice plate is the permanent pressure drop. The
pressure recovery in an orifice meter is poor due to large
friction losses from the eddies generated by the
reexpanding jet below the vena contracta. The pressure
difference measure by pipe taps is really a measurement of
permanent loss rather than of the orifice differential.
(Mccabe, 2006)

Relationship of mass flow rate to coefficient of


discharge and pressure was also explained. For the
coefficient of discharge, it was supposed to be constant for
the Reynolds Number is greater than 10000. The value
must just be in between 0.6 and 0.7 and independent of the
value of the mass flow rate. However, the pressure drop
increases as the mass flow rate increases.
The possible errors of this experiment are the
characteristic of a head meter which is the square root
relationship and the provision of straight pipes to the
orifices up and downstream. Failure to do so might affect
the coefficient of discharge.

References

Figure 3.3 Orifice plate and the permanent


pressure drop
One of the possible errors in this experiment is primarily
the square root relationship characteristic of the orifice. It
will always give 1% error to every result in this
experiment. In terms of discharge coefficient being not

Experiment 3 Group No. 3 May 17, 2016

Gutierrez, C., & Ngo, R. (2005). Chemical Engineering


Laboratory Manual.
Kharagpur. (n.d.). Flow Measurement. Retrieved May 17, 2016,
from
Measurement
Systems:
http://www.nptel.ac.in/courses/108105063/pdf/L-07(SS)(IA&C)
%20((EE)NPTEL).pdf
Liptak, B. (1993). Flow Measurement. Chilton Book Company.

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Mccabe, W., Smith, J., & Harriott, P. (2006). Unit Operations of


Chemical Engineering. McGraw-Hill Asia.

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