ME 527 THERMO FLUID LAB

EXPERIMENT NO 4
BERNOULLI EQUATION VERIFICATION IN WIND TUNNEL

SUBMITTED BY:-
DEEPAK SHARMA (1511ME06)

DATE OF SUBMISSION
24/09/2015

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Indian Institute of Technology, Patna
Aim
To verify Bernoullis equation with the help of armfield wind tunnel.

Equipment
Computer controlled Armedfield Wind Tunnel.

Theory
The Bernoulli Equation can be considered to be a statement of the conservation of energy
principle appropriate for flowing fluids. There are assumptions adopted for the application of
Bernoulli equation:

1. Flow is inviscid (no viscous drag forces, no heat conduction) i.e. ideal flow.
2. The fluid is incompressible.
3. The flow is steady (velocity pattern constant).
4. The paths travelled by small sections of the fluid are well defined.

Bernoulli equation with above stated assumptions can be written as

1
+ 2 + = Constant

It has large application in engineering and science applications. Some of them are mentioned
here:

1. The carburettor used in many reciprocating engines contains a venturi to create a

region of low pressure to draw fuel into the carburettor and mix it thoroughly with the
incoming air. The low pressure in the throat of a venturi can be explained by
Bernoulli's principle.
2. The pitot tube and static port on an aircraft are used to determine the airspeed of the
aircraft.
3. The flow speed of a fluid can be measured using a device such as a Venturi meter or
an orifice plate and so on.

Experimental Setup
Experimental setup consists of computer controlled Armfield Wind Tunnel. A line diagram
of the armfield wind tunnel is shown below.
 Procedure
1. Switched on the computer and wind tunnel.
2. Speed of wind tunnel fan was fed to the computer and readings of manometers were
taken at different tapping points when there was no fluctuation in the height of fluid
column.
3. Data sheet was generated based on readings and graphs were plotted and regression
analysis and uncertainty analysis was done.
4. Again fan speed was adjusted to different setting and same steps were followed.

Observation Table:
For 60% fan speed:

Graph:

Figure 1: Variation of predicted velocity & calculated velocity at different tapping points
 Regression Analysis
25.0
Predicted Velocity (m/s)
y = 1.0778x - 1.8493
20.0
R = 0.8775
15.0 Predicted
Velocity
10.0
Vp
5.0 [m/s]

0.0
0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0
Calculated Velocity (m/s)

Figure 2: Regression analysis for pred. velocity & calc. velocity

For 75% fan speed:

Graph:

Figure 3: Variation of predicted velocity & calculated velocity at different tapping points
 Regression Analysis
30.0

Predicted Velocity (m/s)

y = 0.9895x - 1.2758
25.0
R = 0.8739 Predicted
20.0 Velocity
Vp
15.0
[m/s]
10.0 Linear (Predicted
Velocity
5.0 Vp
0.0 [m/s])
0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0
Calculated Velocity (m/s)

Figure 4: Regression analysis for pred. velocity & calc. velocity

For 85% fan speed:

Graph:

Figure 5: Variation of predicted velocity & calculated velocity at different tapping points
 Regression Analysis
35.0

Predicted Velocity (m/s)

y = 0.9765x - 1.6217
30.0
R = 0.8669 Predicted
25.0
Velocity
20.0 Vp
15.0 [m/s]
10.0 Linear (Predicted
5.0 Velocity
0.0 Vp
0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 [m/s])
Calculated Velocity (m/s)

Figure 6: Regression analysis for pred. velocity & calc. velocity

For 100% fan speed:

Graph:

Figure 7: Variation of predicted velocity & calculated velocity at different tapping points
 Regression Analysis
35.0
y = 0.9127x - 1.1691

Predicted Velocity (m/s)

30.0 R = 0.8801 Predicted
25.0
Velocity
20.0 Vp
15.0 [m/s]
10.0
Linear (Predicted
5.0 Velocity
0.0 Vp
0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 [m/s])
Calculated Velocity (m/s)

Figure 8: Regression analysis for pred. velocity & calc. velocity

Result
1. Above graphs are plots between predicted velocity v/s calculated velocity for different
fan speed.
2. Predicted velocity and calculated velocity follow the relation:
i) For 60% fan speed setting: = 1.0778 - 1.8493, ( ) = . /s
ii) For 75% fan speed setting: = 0.9895 - 1.2758, ( ) = . /
iii) For 85% fan speed setting: = 1.0778 - 1.8493, ( ) = . /
iv) For 100% fan speed setting: = 0.9127 - 1.1691, ( ) = . /

Discussion
1. As the predicted velocity is different from calculated velocity, there is a need to
consider losses occurring during the flow and this is to be done by adding head loss to
any side of Bernoulli equation when applied to two different points in a real flow.
2. There were air bubbles in manometer fluid (water) which may cause inaccuracy in
readings and to avoid this fluid of high density can be used but the fluid should be
chosen by keeping it in mind that on using high density fluid sensitivity of manometer
also reduces because air flow is being considered here.
3. As an assumption of Bernoulli equation whole system should be perfectly insulated.
To achieve this it is better to do the experiment in an isothermal environment.
4. There are other causes also which contribute to the uncertainty in the result and some
of them are human error (which can be reduced by going through the user manual
properly), instrumental error (to be reduced by using instruments with high precision),
rounding off error etc.
5. The experiment is simple and inexpensive and illustrates the importance and
usefulness of Bernoullis equation for real fluids including energy losses, over a wide
range of Reynolds numbers.
Uncertainty Analysis
Calculated velocity is obtained from Bernoulli equation, so uncertainty can be calculated as

1
2 = [()2 + (21 1 )2 ]
22

Where = uncertainty in measurement of height of fluid column in manometer

= 1mm

1 = uncertainty in measurement of initial velocity

= 0.1m/s

From regression analysis it can be said that uncertainty in predicted velocity depends upon
uncertainty in A(uncertainty in intercept), B(slope) and in calculated velocity as

2 2
2 2
( ) = [() + (2 ) {( ) + ( )} ]
2

For 60% fan speed

Tapping Point Calculated Predicted X ( )

Velocity(X) Velocity(Y)
1 14.7 14.8 216.6184 0.694402
2 16.3 16.6 266.6073 0.742856
3 18.3 19.1 333.2591 1.647838
4 20.8 22.1 433.3849 2.136895
5 22.4 22.1 500.0595 0.040978
6 22.0 22.1 483.3908 0.041075
7 20.8 20.1 433.3849 0.201773
8 19.6 18.5 383.3789 0.535908
9 18.3 17.1 333.373 0.604791
10 17.3 15.9 300.0357 0.890802
11 16.8 14.8 283.367 2.35631
Total 207.3 3966.86 9.893629

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10
1 =
11
= 19.0 /
Where = calculated velocity at tapping point.

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 + 11
2 =
11
= 18.8 /

2 = 0.2797 /

( )
=

= 0.9484

Uncertainty in A:

2 2
=
2 ()2

= 2.3207

Uncertainty in B:

2
=
2 ()2

= 0.1222

Uncertainty in predicted velocity is,

( ) = 3.526 /

For 75% fan speed

1 = 23.2 /

2 = 22.9 /

2 = 0.237 /

( )
=

= 1.1145

Uncertainty in A:

2 2
=
2 ()2
 = 2.6171

Uncertainty in B:

2
=
2 ()2

= 0.1071

Uncertainty in predicted velocity is,

( ) = 3.79 /

For 85% fan speed

1 = 26.62 /

2 = 26.39 /

2 = 0.21 /

( )
=

= 1.2933

Uncertainty in A:

2 2
=
2 ()2

= 3.070

Uncertainty in B:

2
=
2 ()2

= 0.1154

Uncertainty in predicted velocity is,

( ) = 4.47 /

For 100% fan speed

1 = 31.1 /
 2 = 30.8 /

2 = 0.189 /

( )
=

= 1.8711

Uncertainty in A:

2 2
=
2 ()2

= 4.3118

Uncertainty in B:

2
=
2 ()2

= 0.1389

Uncertainty in predicted velocity is,

( ) = 6.326 /

*****