Mekanik, KTH

Laboratory exercise no 1, SG2215 Compressible ow

March 31, 2010

Compressible pipe ow 1 Summary

In this laboratory exercise we investigate compressible pipe ow with regard to the pressure drop, choking as well as the velocity distribution at the pipe outlet. The velocity distribution is measured with a traversable Pitot tube. The measured values should be compared with analytical results obtained from one-dimensional pipe ow analysis assuming a constant skin friction coecient.

Theory

Compressible ow in a constant pipe can be analyzed through a one-dimensional analysis if the ow is assumed to be of plug-type, i.e. there is no variation over the pipe cross section. This is a fairly good approximation if the Reynolds number is high and the ow is turbulent (the higher the Re, the better the approximation). In this case the eect of friction is modeled with a constant friction factor cf dened as 1 w = cf u2 2 where w is the wall friction, the gas density and u the velocity. For a smooth pipe cf is typically of the order of 0.005. By analyzing the ow over a small length dx of the pipe, using mass and momentum conservation, it is possible to obtain the following relation 4cf dx 1 dp + udu = u2 2 D where p is the pressure and D the diameter of the pipe. It is possible to recast this equation into one only containing the Mach number M giving 4cf dx 2 1 dM = (1 M 2 )[1 + ( 1)M 2 ]1 2 D M 2 M This equation can be integrated from x1 to x2 and if the inlet Mach number M1 is known the outlet Mach number M2 at x2 can be calculated. Further details of the calculation procedure can be found in Andersson, chapter 3.9. An interesting aspect of this ow is that the Mach number is increasing in the downstream direction and if the pipe is long enough and the pressure dierence between the inlet and outlet large enough, the Mach number at the outlet will become equal to one. In that case the ow will become choked and a further increase of the pressure dierence (keeping the upstream stagnation pressure constant) will not lead to any increase in the mass ow rate.

Mekanik, KTH

2.1

Mass ow determination

In the experiment the mass ow rate is determined from the pressure change across a nozzle with an area ratio A1 /A2 of about 4 which is located upstream of the pipe. By assuming that the air at the upstream (large) end of the nozzle is at stagnation conditions we can easily calculate the Mach number at A2 from the isentropic relationship
p0 1 2 = [1 + M2 ] 1 p2 2

We can also calculate the temperature T2 also by using the adiabatic relationship (if we know the stagnation temperature T0 ) T0 1 2 M2 ] = [1 + T2 2 and thereby obtain both the velocity u2 from the Mach number as well as the density 2 from the perfect gas law. Finally we obtain the mass ow rate as m = 2 u 2 A 2 Using this value we can obtain a better estimate of the Mach number at A1 and thereby iterate to obtain an even better estimate of the mass ow rate.

Experimental rig and test equipment

The layout of the experiment is sketched in gure 1.

patm Compressor PC p p p Pressure vessel Inlet Pressure stagnation regulator (feed back loop) chamber Outlet valve p p p p Differential pressure transducers Pressure taps patm p

Pn1 Pn2

A1 Venturi section

A2

Figure 1: Pressure vessel and pipe with pressure taps

Mekanik, KTH

The experimental rig consists of a large pressure vessel connected to a smaller stagnation chamber with a pressure regulator in between. The gas ows from the chamber into a venturi which in turn is coupled to a test section, a straight pipe. Air is supplied to the vessel by a 7.35 kW compressor at the rate of 25 g/s at maximum. The pressure in the stagnation chamber is held constant by means of a computer controlled pressure regulator in a feed back loop. The mass ow rate is determined by the venturi section (in this case just a conical tube) mounted between the stagnation chamber and the entrance of the pipe. A valve at the outlet of the pipe regulates the back pressure. The pressure along the the pipe is determined through dierential pressure transducers connected to a number of pressure taps along the axis of the pipe. To enhance the pressure sensitivity only the dierential pressure between neighbouring taps along the pipe is measured. These transducers handle a maximum pressure dierence of 100 kPa (Motorola MPX 5100DP). The pressure relative to the atmosphere is measured at the inlet of the venturi section and in the outlet stagnation chamber by transducers covering pressure dierences up to 700 kPa (Motorola MPX 7000DP). The pressure taps in the venturi are positioned at cross sections where the diameter is 19.5 mm and 10.0 mm giving an area ratio A1 /A2 of 3.80. Two dierent pipes are available. One is 2670 mm long with an inner diameter of 6.4 mm and the other is 3500 mm and has an inner diameter of 8.4 mm. The location of the pressure taps are given in Table 1 L = 2670 mm mm 76 760 1520 2280 2400 2530 2600 2630 D = 6.4 mm x/D 12 119 238 356 375 395 406 411 L = 3500 mm mm 100 1000 2000 3000 3150 3300 3400 3450 D = 8.4 mm x/D 12 119 238 357 375 393 405 411

No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Table 1: Pressure tap location in absolute and relative measure. The x distance is measured from the pipe inlet

The pressures taps are connected to the transducers using 2 mm i.d. plastic tubes. Due to rather long tube lengths and small pressure holes one has to wait for the pressure to settle before making a pressure registration. The transducers are electrically connected to a 16 channel 16 bits AD-card in a computer and the dierential pressures are directly written to a le as well as shown on the computer screen. The experimental rig is also equipped with a Pitot tube, a stagnation pressure probe made of a at nosed hypodermic needle, mounted on a vertical traversing unit. Dismounting the outlet valve from the pipe the velocity prole of the emerging jet can be measured by traversing the Pitot tube through the jet. In this case the larger pressure transducer, used to monitor the pressure just upstream of the outlet valve, is connected to the stagnation probe.

Mekanik, KTH

Experiments and evaluation of data

Three dierent experiments are carried out. 1. Determination of mass ow rate for choked conditions. The inlet stagnation pressure, p0in (= p0in patm ), is set to 150 kPa and outlet stagnation chamber pressure (p0out (= p0out patm )) is adjusted, opening the outlet valve in steps, till atmospheric pressure (p0out = 0) is reached. During the procedure we register the pressure at inlet and outlet at all steps. 2. Pressure drop characteristics. In this experiment we obtain the pressure drop as a function of distance from the pipe inlet. The outlet stagnation chamber is removed and the pipe ow is run so that critical ow is obtained at the outlet. Only one inlet stagnation pressure is tried. The pressure distributions are recorded and compared to theory. 3. Emerging jet Mach prole. Using the inlet setting in experiment 2, the stagnation pressure distribution in the jet at the pipe outlet is determined. The Mach number distribution is sought from stagnation pressure data and compared with theory. Note that the relation between static and total pressure is dierent depending on whether the ow is sub- or supersonic.

Home assignment

A home assignment should be carried out in advance and brought to the laboration to be approved. 1. What inlet Mach number is required to have Mach number equal to one at the outlet of the pipe? 2. What inlet pressure is required to drive the ow to Mach number one if the pressure at the outlet is atmospheric (i.e. patm =100 kPa) ? For these assignments choose the geometry for the shorter pipe as described in section 3.