Principle of Venturimeter:
It is a device for measuring the rate of liquid flow through pipes. Its principle and workings are based on Bernoulli's theorem and equation.
Construction:
It consists of two identical coaxial tubes, $X$ and $Z$, connected by a narrow coaxial tube $Y$. Two vertical tubes $P$ and $Q$ are mounted on tubes $X$ and $Y$ to measure the pressure of the liquid that flows through pipes. As shown in the figure below.
Working and Theory:
Connect this venturimeter horizontally to the pipe through which the liquid is flowing and note down the difference of liquid columns in tubes $P$ and $E$. Let the difference be $h$.
Let us consider that an incompressible and non-viscous liquid flows in streamlined motion through a tube $X$,$Y$, and $Z$ of a non-uniform cross-section.
Now Consider:
The cross-section's area of tube $X$ = $A_{1}$
The cross-section's area of tube $Y$ = $A_{2}$
The velocity of fluid per second (i.e., equal to distance) at the cross-section of tube $X$ = $v_{1}$
The velocity of fluid per second (i.e., equal to distance) at the cross-section of tube $Y$ = $v_{2}$
The fluid's pressure at cross-section of tube $X$ = $P_{1}$
The fluid's pressure at cross-section of tube $Y$ = $P_{2}$
Now the change in pressure on tube $P$ and $Q$:
$P_{1}-P_{2}=\rho g h \qquad(1)$
Where $\rho$ is the density of the liquid.
According to the principle of continuity:
$A_{1} v_{1} = A_{2} v_{2} = \frac{m}{\rho}= V \quad(2)$
Where $V$ is the volume of the liquid flowing per second through the pipe. Then from equation $(2)$
$\left.\begin{matrix}
v_{1}=\frac{V}{A_{1}}
\\
v_{2}=\frac{V}{A_{2}}
\end{matrix}\right\} \qquad(3)$
Now apply Bernoulli's Theorem for horizontal flow (i.e, $h_{1}=h_{2}$) in a verturimeter.
$P_{1} + \frac{1}{2} \rho v_{1}^{2} = P_{2} + \frac{1}{2}\rho v_{2}^{2} $
$P_{1} - P_{2} = \frac{1}{2}\rho v_{2}^{2} - \frac{1}{2} \rho v_{1}^{2} $
$P_{1} - P_{2} = \frac{1}{2}\rho \left( v_{2}^{2} - v_{1}^{2} \right) \qquad(4) $
Now from equation $(1)$ and equation $(4)$, we get
$\rho g h = \frac{1}{2}\rho \left( v_{2}^{2} - v_{1}^{2} \right)$
$g h = \frac{1}{2} \left( v_{2}^{2} - v_{1}^{2} \right)$
Now substitute the value of $v_{1}$ and $v_{2}$ from equation $(3)$ in above equation
$g h = \frac{1}{2} \left( \frac{V^{2}}{A^{2}_{2}} - \frac{V^{2}}{A^{2}_{1}} \right)$
$g h = \frac{V^{2}}{2} \left( \frac{1}{A^{2}_{2}} - \frac{1}{A^{2}_{1}} \right)$
$g h = \frac{V^{2}}{2} \left( \frac{ A^{2}_{1} - A^{2}_{2} }{A^{2}_{1} A^{2}_{2}} \right)$
$V^{2} = \frac{2 g h A^{2}_{1} A^{2}_{2}}{A^{2}_{1} - A^{2}_{2}}$
$V = A_{1} A_{2} \sqrt{\frac{2 g h }{A^{2}_{1} - A^{2}_{2}}}$
Hence flow rate of liquid can be calculated by measuring $h$, since $A_{1}$ and $A_{2}$ are known for the given venturimeter.
