Fluid Mechanics Lab

The Fluid Mechanics Lab helps students understand how fluids behave in motion and at rest. It includes experiments on measuring flow rates, pressure, viscosity, and forces exerted by fluids. Students use devices such as venturi meters, orifice meters, flow channels, and pumps to observe real-life fluid behaviour. The lab strengthens theoretical concepts by providing hands-on experience, which is essential for designing hydraulic structures, water supply systems, and other engineering applications.

List of Experiments

• To verify the momentum equation using the experimental setup on the impact of jet.
• To determine the coefficient of discharge of an orifice of a given shape. Also, to determine the coefficient of velocity and the coefficient of contraction of the orifice mouthpiece.
• To calibrate an orifice meter and study the variation of the co-efficient of discharge with the Reynolds number.
• To calibrate a Venturimeter and study the variation of the co-efficient of discharge with the Reynolds number.
• To calibrate a bend meter and study the variation of the co-efficient of discharge with the Reynolds number.
• Verification of Bernoulli’s Theorem
• To study the transition from laminar to turbulent flow and to determine the lower critical Reynolds number.
• To study the velocity distribution in a pipe and also to compute the discharge by integrating the velocity profile.
• To study the variation of friction factor, ‘f’ for turbulent flow in commercial pipes.
• To study the boundary layer velocity profile over a flat plate and to determine the boundary layer thickness.
• To determine the meta-centric height of a given ship model.
• To determine the head loss for a sudden enlargement, sudden contraction and losses in bend.
• Flow visualization -ideal flow
• To make studies in wind tunnel (aerofoil and circular cylinder).