Example 11-15  A Venturi Meter

Figure 11-30 shows a simple device called a Venturi meter for measuring fluid velocity in a gas such as air. When gas
passes from left to right through the horizontal pipe, it speeds up as it passes through the constriction at point 2.
­Bernoulli’s principle tells us that the gas pressure must be lower at point 2 than at
point 1, and the pressure difference causes the liquid in the U-tube to drop on the A1 v2
left-hand side and rise on the right-hand side. Suppose the gas is air ­(density
1.20 kg>m3) that enters the left-hand side of the Venturi meter at 25.0 m>s. The A2
v1
horizontal tube has cross-­sectional area 2.00 cm2 at point 1 and cross-­sectional
area 1.00 cm2 at point 2. If the liquid in the U-tube is water, what is the difference 1 2
in height between the water columns on the left-hand and right-hand sides of the
tube?

Figure 11-30 ​A Venturi meter A Venturi meter, or flow meter, can be used to measure the flow
speed of a gas.

Set Up
In this problem there are two fluids, the air Bernoulli’s equation: relate properties of air
here and here
that flows through the horizontal pipe and the 1
water in the U-tube. Hence we’ll use Bernoulli’s p + rv 2 + rgy = a constant
2
equation twice: once to relate the moving air at  (11-27)
point 1 to the moving air at point 2, and once 1 2
to relate the heights of the water on the two Equation of continuity for steady
sides of the U-tube (which is what we’re trying flow of an incompressible fluid: relate properties
to find). We’ll also use the equation of continu- of water
ity to relate the speeds of the air at points 1 A1v1 = A2v2 (11-19) here and
here
and 2.

Solve
We need to find the difference in air pressure Bernoulli’s equation for the air at points 1 and 2:
at points 1 and 2, since this is what causes the
1 1
difference in height of the water on the two p1 + r v 21 + rair gy1 = p2 + rair v 22 + rair gy2
sides of the U-tube. Find this difference using 2 air 2
Bernoulli’s equation and the equation of conti-
nuity applied to the air in the horizontal pipe, At the center of the horizontal pipe, y1 = y2, so
keeping in mind that we know the values of v1, 1 1
A1, and A2. p1 + rair v 21 = p2 + rair v 22
2 2
1 1
p1 - p2 = rair v 22 - rair v 21
2 2

From the equation of continuity,

A1
v2 = v so
A2 1
1 1 A1 2
p1 - p2 = rair 1v 22 - v 21 2 = rair c a b v 21 - v 21 d
2 2 A2
1 A1 2
= rair v 21 c a b - 1 d
2 A2
1 2.00 cm2 2
= 11.20 kg>m3 2 125.0 m>s2 2 c a b - 1d
2 1.00 cm2
= 1.13 * 103 kg> 1ms 2 2 = 1.13 * 103 N>m2
The pressure difference between points 1 Bernoulli’s principle for the water at the tops of the two
and 2 is also the pressure difference between columns:
the water at two points: the top of the water
1
column on the left-hand side of the U-tube and p1 + rwater v 2water,1 + rwater gywater,1
the water column on the right-hand side. The 2
water is at rest (v = 0) at both points. Use this 1
  = p2 + rwater v 2water, 2 + rwater gywater, 2
technique to find the height difference between 2
the two water columns.
Water is at rest: vwater,1 = vwater,  2 = 0

Solve for the height difference of the two water columns:

p1 + rwater gywater, 1 = p2 + rwater gywater, 2
rwater gywater, 2 - rwater gywater, 1 = p1 - p2

p1 - p2 1.13 * 103 kg> 1m # s 2 2

ywater, 2 - ywater, 1 = =
rwater g 11.000 * 103 kg>m3 2 19.80 m>s 2 2
= 0.115 m = 11.5 cm

Reflect
This height difference is large enough to easily Additional pressure difference between the tops of the two water
measure, so the Venturi meter is a practical columns due to the extra weight of air on the left-hand side:
device.
rair g1ywater, 2 - ywater, 1 2 = 11.20 kg>m3 2 19.80 m>s 2 2 10.115 m2
We made an approximation in our ­solution
that the pressure difference between points 1 = 1.35 kg> 1m # s 2 2 = 1.35 N>m2
and 2 within the horizontal pipe is the same as This is 0.12% of the pressure difference calculated above
the pressure difference between the two water (p1 - p2 = 1.13 * 103 N>m2), so we can neglect it.
columns. This isn’t exactly correct, because
there is a greater weight of air above the col-
umn on the left-hand side. However, the result-
ing additional pressure difference is so small
that we can ignore it.