(An) experimental investigation of effects of side-orifices on pressure drop in vertical flow

Abstract

An experimental investigation of the effects of the side orifices on pressure drop in vertical flow has been carried out for the prediction of single-phase pressure drop through side-orifices. In the present work, a series of experiments have been performed to investigate the effects of geometry of side-orifices and flow rate on the pressure drop due to side-orifices with water as a working fluid. Pressure drop measurements have been made for the cases of combinations of three different entrance shapes (circle, rounded rectangle, and rectangle) having the same area, of five different numbers of orifices (from 1 to 4 and 6), of two types of array of side-orifices (regular and staggered array), and of flow rate in the range of Reynolds number from 2000 to 50000 in vertical water flow. Empirical correlations for pressure loss coefficient, K for laminar and turbulent flow respectively have been developed in terms of Reynolds number, ratio of area of side-orifices to cross-sectional area of downstream, and equivalent diameter and width of side-orifice This correlation shows a good agreement with experimental data within ±20%.