Department of Chemical Engineering

School of Engineering and Architecture

Saint Louis University

LABORATORY REPORT EVALUATION SHEET

Laboratory Course: CHE 425 Schedule: 7:30 – 10:30 Daily

Experiment Number: 6
Experiment Title: CALIBRATION OF AN ORIFICE METER
Group Number: 4 Date Performed: 04 July 2017
Group Members: Feria, Gabriel V. Date Submitted: 17 July 2017
Ariaga, Nichelle Anne A.
Caw-is, Imee Mejia, Gladice Ann
Estillore, Hazel Diane L. Tabangin, Krystine Ayra C.
Legaspi, Marry Angelique M.
CONTENTS TOTAL REMARKS SCORE
POINTS
I. Abstract 10
II. Chapter 1: Introduction 15
III. Chapter 2: Design and Methodology 10
IV. Chapter 3: Results and Discussion 20
V. Chapter 4: Conclusion and 10
Recommendation
VI. References 5
VII. Appendices 15
a. List and Uses of Apparatus
b. Definition of Terms
c. Computations
d. Problems
VIII. Table of Contents / List of Tables / 5
List of Figures
IX. Format and Neatness 10
TOTAL POINTS: 100 SCORE: ______

Evaluated by: Engr. Ray Limuel C. Laureano Date: _____________

 CALIBRATION OF AN ORIFICE METER

An Experimental Study Presented to the

Faculty of the Department of Chemical Engineering
School of Engineering and Architecture
Saint Louis University

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

By
Feria, Gabriel V.

July 2017

3
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We are grateful to our dear instructor, Engineer Ray Limuel C. Laureano, who has guided us

throughout the experiment.

We are also grateful to our laboratory technicians, who have provided us all the apparatus that

we used in the experiment.

We are also grateful to our classmates for the support and assistance.

And finally, for a great teamwork of the group, good job!

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE 2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4

LIST OF TABLES 5

LIST OF FIGURES 6

ABSTRACT 7

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 9

Chapter 2: DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 11

Chapter 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 13

Chapter 4: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 15

REFERENCES 16

APPENDICES 17

5
 LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1. Data for Orifice Meter 13

6
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1. Fluid Flow Apparatus 12

Figure 3.1. Flow Rate VS Head loss for Venturi Metre 14

7
 ABSTRACT

In order to control the flow of a pipe, flow must be measured. This experiment introduces

measurement of flow by using Orifice meter. Orifice meter is a device basically used for

measuring the rate of flow of a fluid through a pipe. It has two distinct uses. The first is to restrict

flow where high accuracy is generally not important and the second is flow measurement where

calculation accuracy is critical. The Orifice consists of flat circular plate which has circular sharp

edged hole called orifice, which is concentric with pipe. It is one half smaller in diameter of the

pipe. Based from the experiment, the velocity increases while flow rate increases. The head loss

is increasing when the flow rate increases.

Keywords: Orifice Meter, Coefficient of Discharge , Flow Rate, and Head Loss.

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 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

In fluid dynamics, an incompressible fluid's velocity must increase as it passes through a

constriction in accord with the principle of mass continuity, while its static pressure must

decrease in accord with the principle of conservation of mechanical energy. Thus any gain in

kinetic energy a fluid may accrue due to its increased velocity through a constriction is balanced

by a drop in pressure.By measuring the change in pressure, the flow rate can be determined, as in

various flow measurement devices such as venturi meters, venturi nozzles and orifice plates.

An orifice meter is a conduit and a restriction to create a pressure drop. An hour glass is

a form of orifice. A nozzle, venturi or thin sharp edged orifice can be used as the flow restriction.

In order to use any of these devices for measurement it is necessary to empirically calibrate them

. That is, pass a known volume through the meter and note the reading in order to provide a stand

ard for measuring other quantities. Due to the ease of duplicating and the simple construction, th

e thin sharp edged orifice has been adopted as a standard and extensive calibration work has been

done so that it is widely accepted as a standard means of measuring fluids. Provided the standard

mechanics of construction are followed no further calibration is required. The minimum cross se

ctional area of the jet is known as the “vena contracta.”

Orifice meter or orifice plate is a device used for measuring the rate of flow of a fluid

through a pipe. It works on the same principle as a venturimeter. It consists of a flat circular plate

which has a circular sharp edged hole called orifice, which is concentric with the pipe. The

orifice diameter is 0.5 times the diameter of the pipe. A differential manometer is connected at

section 1 which is at a distance of about 1.5 to 2 times the pipe diameter upstream from the

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orifice plate, and at section 2, which is at a distance of about half the diameter of the orifice on

the downstream side from the orifice plate.

As the fluid approaches the orifice the pressure increases slightly and then drops

suddenly as the orifice is passed. It continues to drop until the “vena contracta” is reached and

then gradually increases until at approximately 5 to 8 diameters downstream a maximum

pressure point is reached that will be lower than the pressure upstream of the orifice. The

decrease in pressure as the fluid passes thru the orifice is a result of the

The purpose of this experiment is to calibrate the Orifice Meter. The purpose of this

experimental study is to determine the coefficient of discharge of sharp-edged orifice. Also, to

obtain data on pressure drop versus water flow rate and to be able to plot the calibration curves

for the meter on a rectangular coordinate paper in terms of pressure drop vs. flow rate.

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 CHAPTER 2

DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

Experimental procedure:

In this experimental study, the group needed the assistance of the Laboratory Technician

as well as the Supervising Instructor. First, the group with the assistance of the technician

selected the pipe run containing the orifice meter by closing the isolating valves for all other

horizontal pipe runs. Then, the group studied the design and construction of the apparatus to

become thoroughly familiar with the method of operation. Then the group recorded the initial

weight of the tank 1 that is placed on the platform balance. Afterwards the group opened the

water valve but the group ensured that the discharge is located on the tank 2. And again, the

group recorded the monometer reading when the flow is already established. The group then,

transferred the discharge to the tank 1 and recorded the weight of the water collected for some

time. After this step, computation was made possible for the volumetric flow rate by using the

density of water. The group also computed the velocity at the pipe, the pressure drop and the

coefficient of discharge using the suitable equations. This procedural step was repeated for 5

trials by varying the flowrates starting from 160 up to 560 gph.

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Experimental Set-up

Drawn by: Gabriel V. Feria

Figure 2.1. Fluid Flow Apparatus

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 CHAPTER 3

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The purpose of this experimental study is to determine the coefficient of discharge of

sharp-edged orifice. Also, to obtain data on pressure drop versus water flow rate and to be able to

plot the calibration curves for the meter on a rectangular coordinate paper in terms of pressure

drop vs. flow rate.

Table 3.1. Data for Orifice Meter

Trial Flow rate Rm (mm Velocity(m/s) Head Loss, Pa Coefficient of

(gph) Hg) Discharge

1 160 4 0.7482 494.5223 0.7402

2 260 7.5 1.2159 927.2293 0.8785

3 360 12 1.6825 1483.5669 0.9626

4 460 19 2.1511 2348.9809 0.9764

5 560 26 2.1689 3214.3948 1.0162

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 Head Loss Versus Flow Rate
3500

3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Figure 3.1. Flow Rate VS Head loss for a Orifice Meter

Based on the data gathered, it was observed that increasing the velocity will cause an

increase in the manometer reading thereby, also increasing the head loss. This means that there is

a direct proportionality between velocity and head loss.

In the case of coefficient of discharge however errors were encountered and hence, the

experimental data was not able to precisely and accurately prove the theoretical value of 0.61.

the closest data gathered was that of 160 gph with the discharge coefficient equivalent to 0.7402.

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 CHAPTER 4

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

The students conclude that orifice meter is somewhat similar to that venturi meter.

In an orifice, flow rates are set in which the trend is increasing. The head loss increases

with an increase in flow rate. The flow rates affect the velocity which has an increasing order.

The coefficients of discharge vary from one another. Its constants are found from 0.5463 up to

0.5691.

In a venturi meter, the head loss is nearly same value of that head loss in orifice meter. It

has also the same trend for head loss. The calculated velocity in this experiment has also near

values of that velocity of orifice. In terms of constant, the venturi is lesser by 0.1 with the same

variation of that orifice.

The students then recommend that the presence of bubbles seen inside pipes should be

removed or at least wait for it to be collided by liquids. It is believed that this causes big

difference on the data with respect to flow rate. A keen eye from the group is also needed for

accurate reading of manometer.

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REFERENCES

 PiriyaVadhanaa B V, “Orifice Meter”.Retrieved from https://theconstructor.org/practical-

guide/calibration-of-orificemeter/2008/Retrieved on July 09, 2017.

 2010 Daniel Measurement and Control, Inc. , " Fundamentals of Orifice Meter

Measurement". Retrieved from

http://www2.emersonprocess.com/siteadmincenter/PM%20Daniel%20Documents/Funda

mentals-of-Orifice-Measurement-techWpaper.pdf. Retrieved on July 09, 2017.

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 APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

Definition of Apparatus

Fluid flow apparatus- is an apparatus used to determine the relationship between Fanning

Friction Fa tor and the Reynolds number and was used to understand the behavior of fluid in a

straight pipe.

Mercury manometer - consist of a column of liquid in a tube whose ends are exposed to

different pressures. The column will rise or fall until its weight (a force applied due to gravity) is

in equilibrium with the pressure differential between the two ends of the tube (a force applied

due to fluid pressure). A very simple version is a U-shaped tube half-full of liquid, one side of

which is connected to the region of interest while the reference pressure (which might be the

atmospheric pressure or a vacuum) is applied to the other. The difference in liquid level

represents the applied pressure.

Thermometer - is a device that measures temperature or a temperature gradient. A thermometer

has two important elements: (1) a temperature sensor (e.g. the bulb of a mercury-in-glass

thermometer) in which some physical change occurs with temperature, and (2) some means of

converting this physical change into a numerical value (e.g. the visible scale that is marked on a

mercury-in-glass thermometer). Thermometers are widely used in industry to control and

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regulate processes, in the study of weather, in medicine, and in scientific research.

Orifice meter - is a device used for measuring the rate of flow of a fluid through a pipe. It works

on the same principle as a venturi meter.

APPENDIX B

Definition of Terms

Head Loss - In any real moving fluid, energy is dissipated due to friction; turbulence dissipates

even more energy for high Reynolds number flows. This dissipation, called head loss, is divided

into two main categories, "major losses" associated with energy loss per length of pipe, and

"minor losses" associated with bends, fittings, valves, etc.

Flow Rates - is the volume of fluid which passes per unit time; usually represented by the

symbol Q (sometimes V̇). The SI unit is m3/s (cubic metres per second). Another unit used is

sccm (standard cubic centimeters per minute).

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 APPENDIX C

Computations
Computation

𝑘𝑔
Density of mercury: 𝜌 = 13533.1248
𝑚3

𝑘𝑔
From handbook (Table 2-305) Water at 𝑇 = 24℃: 𝜌 = 997. 2503 𝑚3

𝜇 = 919.4356𝑃𝑎. 𝑠

𝑄 𝜋𝐷 2
VELOCITY: 𝑣 = 𝐴 ; 𝐴= ; 𝐷 = 16.92 𝑚
4

𝑔𝑎𝑙 3.7853 𝐿 1 𝑚3 1 ℎ𝑟
160 ( )(1000 𝐿)(3600 𝑠)
ℎ𝑟 1 𝑔𝑎𝑙
𝑣1 = = 0.7482 𝑚/𝑠
16.92
𝜋(10000)2
4

𝑔𝑎𝑙 3.7853 𝐿 1 𝑚3 1 ℎ𝑟
260 ( )(1000 𝐿 )(3600 𝑠)
ℎ𝑟 1 𝑔𝑎𝑙
𝑣2 = = 1.2159 𝑚/𝑠
16.92
𝜋(10000)2
4

𝑔𝑎𝑙 3.7853 𝐿 1 𝑚3 1 ℎ𝑟
360 ( )(1000 𝐿 )(3600 𝑠)
ℎ𝑟 1 𝑔𝑎𝑙
𝑣3 = = 1.6835 𝑚/𝑠
16.92 2
𝜋(10000)
4

𝑔𝑎𝑙 3.7853 𝐿 1 𝑚3 1 ℎ𝑟
460 ( )(1000 𝐿)(3600 𝑠)
ℎ𝑟 1 𝑔𝑎𝑙
𝑣4 = = 2.1511 𝑚/𝑠
16.92 2
𝜋(10000)
4

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 𝑔𝑎𝑙 3.7853 𝐿 1 𝑚3 1 ℎ𝑟
560 ( )(1000 𝐿 )(3600 𝑠)
ℎ𝑟 1 𝑔𝑎𝑙
𝑣5 = = 2.6189 𝑚/𝑠
16.92
𝜋(10000)2
4
𝑔
HEAD LOSS: ∆𝑃 = 𝑔 (𝜌𝐻𝑔 − 𝜌𝐻2 𝑂 )
𝑐

At 160 gph:

9.81
∆𝑃 = (13600 − 997. 2503)(4/1000) = 494.5319 Pa
1

At 260 gph:

9.81
∆𝑃 = (13600 − 997. 2503)(7.5/1000) = 927.2293Pa
1

At 360 gph:

9.81
∆𝑃 = (13600 − 997. 2503)(12/1000) = 2348.9809Pa
1

At 460 gph:

9.81
∆𝑃 = (13600 − 997. 2503)(19/1000) = 4203.5211 Pa
1

At 560 gph:

9.81
𝑃 = (13600 − 997. 2503)(26/1000) = 3214.3948Pa
1

𝐶𝑣 2𝑔𝑐(𝑃1−𝑃2)
VENTURI CONSTANT:𝑣 = √
𝐷2 𝜌
√1.( )^4
𝐷1

Where D2 /D1=16.92/ 40.79 = 0.4148

At 160 gph:

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 𝐶𝑣 2(1)(494.5390)
0.7482 = √ 𝐶𝑣 = 0.7401
√1 + (0.4148)^4 997. 2503

At 260 gph:

𝐶𝑣 2(1)(927.2293Pa)
1.2159 = √ 𝐶𝑣 = 0.8785
√1 + (0.4148)^4 997. 2503

At 360 gph:

𝐶𝑣 2(1)(2348.9809Pa)
1.6835 = √ 𝐶𝑣 = 0.9626
√1 + (0.4148)4 997. 2503

At 460 gph:

𝐶𝑣 2(1)(4203.5211 Pa)
2.1511 = √ 𝐶𝑣 = 0.9764
√1 + (0.4148)4 997. 2503

At 560 gph:

𝐶𝑣 2(1)(3214.3948Pa)
2.6189 = √ 𝐶𝑣 = 1.0162
√1 + (0.4148)^4 997. 2503

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