Lab Report No.

08:

Verification of Bernoulli Theorem

1. INTRODUCTION
Energy presents in the form of pressure, velocity, and elevation in fluids
with no energy exchange due to viscous dissipation, heat transfer, or
shaft work (pump or some other device). The relationship among these
three forms of energy was first stated by Daniel Bernoulli (1700-1782),
based upon the conservation of energy principle. Bernoulli’s theorem
pertaining to a flow streamline is based on three assumptions: steady
flow, incompressible fluid, and no losses from the fluid friction. The
validity of Bernoulli’s equation will be examined in this experiment.

2. PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Bernoulli’s theorem provides a mathematical means to understanding
the mechanics of fluids. It has many real-world applications, ranging
from understanding the aerodynamics of an airplane; calculating wind
load on buildings; designing water supply and sewer networks;
measuring flow using devices such as weirs, Parshall flumes, and
venturimeters; and estimating seepage through soil, etc. Although the
expression for Bernoulli’s theorem is simple, the principle involved in
the equation plays vital roles in the technological advancements
designed to improve the quality of human life.

3. OBJECTIVE
 The objective of this experiment is to investigate the validity of the
Bernoulli equation when it is applied to a steady flow of water through
a tapered duct.

4. METHOD
In this experiment, the validity of Bernoulli’s equation will be verified
with the use of a tapered duct (venturi system) connected with
manometers to measure the pressure head and total head at known
points along the flow.

5. EQUIPMENT
The following equipment is required to complete the demonstration of
the Bernoulli equation experiment:

 F1-10 hydraulics bench,

 F1-15 Bernoulli’s apparatus test equipment, and
 A stopwatch for timing the flow measurement.

6. EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION
The Bernoulli test apparatus consists of a tapered duct (venturi), a series
of manometers tapped into the venturi to measure the pressure head,
and a hypodermic probe that can be traversed along the center of the
test section to measure the total head. The test section is a circular duct
of varying diameter with a 14° inclined angle on one side and a 21°
inclined angle on other side. Series of side hole pressure tappings are
provided to connect manometers to the test section
 Figure 1Bernoulli’s apparatus test equipment

Manometers allow the simultaneous measurement of the pressure heads

at all of the six sections along the duct. The dimensions of the test
section, the tapping positions, and the test section diameters are shown
in Figure 2.2. The test section incorporates two unions, one at either
end, to facilitate reversal for convergent or divergent testing. A probe is
provided to measure the total pressure head along the test section by
positioning it at any section of the duct. This probe may be moved after
slackening the gland nut, which should be re-tightened by hand. To
prevent damage, the probe should be fully inserted during
transport/storage. The pressure tappings are connected to manometers
that are mounted on a baseboard. The flow through the test section can
be adjusted by the apparatus control valve or the bench control valve [2]
 Figure 2Figure 2.2: Test sections, manometer positions, and diameters
of the duct along the test section

7. THEORY
Bernoulli’s theorem assumes that the flow is frictionless, steady, and
incompressible. These assumptions are also based on the laws of
conservation of mass and energy. Thus, the input mass and energy for a
given control volume are equal to the output mass and energy:
These two laws and the definition of work and pressure are the basis for
Bernoulli’s theorem and can be expressed as follows for any two points
located on the same streamline in the flow:

where:
P: pressure,
g: acceleration due to gravity,
v: fluid velocity, and
z: vertical elevation of the fluid.
In this experiment, since the duct is horizontal, the difference in height
can be disregarded, i.e., z1=z2
The hydrostatic pressure (P) along the flow is measured by manometers
tapped into the duct. The pressure head (h), thus, is calculated as:

Therefore, Bernoulli’s equation for the test section can be written as:

in which is called the velocity head (hd).

The total head (ht) may be measured by the traversing hypodermic
probe. This probe is inserted into the duct with its end-hole facing the
flow so that the flow becomes stagnant locally at this end; thus:
 The conservation of energy or the Bernoulli’s equation can be
expressed as:

The flow velocity is measured by collecting a volume of the fluid (V)

over a time period (t). The flow rate is calculated as:

The velocity of flow at any section of the duct with a cross-sectional

area of is determined as:

For an incompressible fluid, conservation of mass through the test

section should be also satisfied (Equation 1a), i.e.:

8. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
 Place the apparatus on the hydraulics bench, and ensure that the outflow
tube is positioned above the volumetric tank to facilitate timed volume
collections.
 Level the apparatus base by adjusting its feet. (A sprit level is attached
to the base for this purpose.) For accurate height measurement from the
manometers, the apparatus must be horizontal.
 Install the test section with the 14° tapered section converging in the
flow direction. If the test section needs to be reversed, the total head
probe must be retracted before releasing the mounting couplings.
 Connect the apparatus inlet to the bench flow supply, close the bench
valve and the apparatus flow control valve, and start the pump.
Gradually open the bench valve to fill the test section with water.
 The following steps should be taken to purge air from the pressure
tapping points and manometers:
o Close both the bench valve and the apparatus flow control valve.
o Remove the cap from the air valve, connect a small tube from the air
valve to the volumetric tank, and open the air bleed screw.
o Open the bench valve and allow flow through the manometers to purge
all air from them, then tighten the air bleed screw and partly open the
bench valve and the apparatus flow control valve.
o Open the air bleed screw slightly to allow air to enter the top of the
manometers (you may need to adjust both valves to achieve this), and
re-tighten the screw when the manometer levels reach a convenient
height. The maximum flow will be determined by having a maximum
(h1) and minimum (h5) manometer readings on the baseboard.

If needed, the manometer levels can be adjusted by using an air pump to

pressurize them. This can be accomplished by attaching the hand pump
tube to the air bleed valve, opening the screw, and pumping air into the
manometers. Close the screw, after pumping, to retain the pressure in
the system.

 Take readings of manometers h1 to h6 when the water level in the

manometers is steady. The total pressure probe should be retracted from
the test section during this reading.
 Measure the total head by traversing the total pressure probe along the
test section from h1 to h6.
 Measure the flow rate by a timed volume collection. To do that, close
the ball valve and use a stopwatch to measure the time it takes to
accumulate a known volume of fluid in the tank, which is read from the
sight glass. You should collect fluid for at least one minute to minimize
timing errors. You may repeat the flow measurement twice to check for
repeatability. Be sure that the total pressure probe is retracted from the
test section during this measurement.
 Reduce the flow rate to give the head difference of about 50 mm
between manometers 1 and 5 (h1-h5). This is the minimum flow
experiment. Measure the pressure head, total head, and flow.
 Repeat the process for one more flow rate, with the (h 1-h5) difference
approximately halfway between those obtained for the minimum and
maximum flows. This is the average flow experiment.
 Reverse the test section (with the 21° tapered section converging in the
flow direction) in order to observe the effects of a more rapidly
converging section. Ensure that the total pressure probe is fully
withdrawn from the test section, but not pulled out of its guide in the
downstream coupling. Unscrew the two couplings, remove the test
section and reverse it, then re-assemble it by tightening the couplings.
 Perform three sets of flow, and conduct pressure and flow
measurements as above.

9. RESULTS AND CALCULATIONS