Chapter 5 : Equations of Motion and Mechanical Energy

Lecture 15 :

Venturimeter

Construction: A venturimeter is essentially a short pipe (Fig. 15.1) consisting of two conical
parts with a short portion of uniform cross-section in between. This short portion has the
minimum area and is known as the throat. The two conical portions have the same base
diameter, but one is having a shorter length with a larger cone angle while the other is having a
larger length with a smaller cone angle.

Fig 15.1 A Venturimeter

Working:

 The venturimeter is always used in a way that the upstream part of the flow takes place
through the short conical portion while the downstream part of the flow through the long
one.

 This ensures a rapid converging passage and a gradual diverging passage in the direction
of flow to avoid the loss of energy due to separation. In course of a flow through the
converging part, the velocity increases in the direction of flow according to the principle
of continuity, while the pressure decreases according to Bernoulli’s theorem.

 The velocity reaches its maximum value and pressure reaches its minimum value at the
throat. Subsequently, a decrease in the velocity and an increase in the pressure takes
place in course of flow through the divergent part. This typical variation of fluid velocity
and pressure by allowing it to flow through such a constricted convergent-divergent
passage was first demonstrated by an Italian scientist Giovanni Battista Venturi in 1797.
 Fig 15.2 Measurement of Flow by a Venturimeter

 Figure 15.2 shows that a venturimeter is inserted in an inclined pipe line in a vertical
plane to measure the flow rate through the pipe. Let us consider a steady, ideal and one
dimensional (along the axis of the venturi meter) flow of fluid. Under this situation, the
velocity and pressure at any section will be uniform.

 Let the velocity and pressure at the inlet (Sec. 1) are V1 and p1 respectively, while those
at the throat (Sec. 2) are V2 and p2. Now, applying Bernoulli’s equation between Secs 1
and 2, we get

(15.1)

(15.2)

where ρ is the density of fluid flowing through the venturimeter.

 From continuity,

(15.3)

where A1 and A2 are the cross-sectional areas of the venturi meter at its throat and inlet
respectively.
  With the help of Eq. (15.3), Eq. (15.2) can be written as

(15.4)

where and are the piezometric pressure heads at sec. 1 and sec. 2 respectively, and are
defined as

(15.5a)

(15.5b)

 Hence, the volume flow rate through the pipe is given by

(15.6)

(Venturimeter continued....),