TABLE OF CONTENT

NO.

CONTENTS

PAGE

1.0

Abstract

2.0

Introduction

3.0

Objective

4.0

Theory of Experiment

3-4

5.0

Apparatus

4-5

6.0

Experimental Procedure

7.0

Results

7-8

8.0

Discussions

9-10

9.0

Conclusion

11

10.0

Appendix and References

12-13

1.0 Abstract
From forced vortex experiment the objective is to study the relationship between the
surface shape of a forced vortex flow and the angular velocity of a rotating liquid in a
cylindrical tank.
The type of experiment that is done is the vortex where it is a rotation of fluid
element around a common center. There are two types of vortices example are forced
and free. In a forced vortex, fluid (or gas) circles around a centre, while in a free
vortex the medium spirals toward the centre. The speed and rate of rotation of the
fluid are greatest at the center and decrease progressively with distance from the
center.
The theory to achieve these objective experiment is build in a system that
depict a fluid contained in a cylindrical tank that rotates with a constant angular
velocity about the vertical z-axis. The gravity vectors acts in the negative direction.
For steady-state rotation, the fluid rotates with the tank as a rigid body. So, the fluid in
rigid-body rotation within a cylindrical tank will rotates around the vertical z-axis
with a constant angular velocity.
From the result of the experiment, the graph z versus r measured show that the
values are similarly the same with z versus r theory. The shape of that graph was
curve. However there have slightly different between measured graph and theory
graph. For gradient graph between Z and R2 from the equation h/r = w/2g show that
value for measured graph gradient almost equal with theory gradient.
So the conclusion from the result of the experiment shows that is had slightly
different because of the error occurs in this experiment. For example parallax error
was occur when measurement are taken for the depth of the vortex. So some
precaution need to be done, to overcome and minimize the error.

2.0 Introduction
A vortex is the rotation of fluid elements around a common center. There are two
types of vortices, i.e.forced and free.In a forced vortex, fluid (or gas) circles around a
centre, while in a free vortex the medium spirals toward the centre. The speed and rate
of rotation of the fluid are greatest at the center, and decrease progressively with
distance from the center.

3.0 Objective
The objective of this experiment is study the relationship between the surface
shape of a forced vortex flow and the angular velocity of a rotating liquid in a
cylindrical tank.

4.0 Theory Of Experiment

Figure 1 depicts a fluid contained in a cylindrical tank that rotates with a constant
angular velocity, about the vertical z axis. The gravity vector acts in the negative z
direction. For steady-state rotation, the fluid rotates with the tank as a rigid body.

Figure 2: Fluid in rigid-body rotation within a cylindrical tank, which rotates around
the vertical z axis with a constant angular velocity .
The theoretical expression relating the change in fluid height in Figure 1 to the
angular velocity is given as:
2r 2
h h h o
2g

where

(1)

initial (non-rotating) surface height of the fluid,

h0 =

height on the axis,

angular velocity, radian/second

radius of the cylinder,

acceleration of gravity.
3

Taking ho as datum (i.e. ho = 0), the theoretical height (hth) of a vortex surface
corresponding to a radius r from the axis at a constant angular velocity can be
expressed as

hth

2r 2
2g

2N 2 r 2
2g

(2)

where N is the rotational speed of rotating fluid (revolution/sec , rps)

Thus, the

theoretical height

(zth) of

a vortex surface relative to the actual

measurement obtained from the experiment is

zth = zo-hth

(3)

where zo is the measured height of a vortex surface at the axis (i.e. r = 0)

5.0 Apparatus
A Cussons P6238 Forced Vortex Apparatus for the study of the shape of forced
vortices consists of a 250 mm diameter cylindrical, transparent vessel 180 mm depth,
having two pairs of diametrically opposed inlet tubes of 9.0 mm and 12.5 mm
diameter. The 12.5 mm diameter inlet tubes which are angled at 15 to the diameter,
so that a swirling motion is imparted to the liquid entering the vessel, are used as
entry tubes for the free vortex experiment. A smooth outlet is centrally positioned in
the base of the vessel and a set of push-in orifices of 24, 16, 12 and 8 mm diameter is
supplied to reduce the outlet diameter to a suitable value.
The profile of the vortex formed at the top of the vessel is determined by a gauge,
housed on a diametrically mounted bridge piece, which measures the diameter of the
4

vortex at various depths. This gives the co-ordinate points required to plot the vortex
profile. The forced vortex is created in the vessel described above by using as the inlet
the 9 mm bore tubes which are angled at 60 to the diameter. The input water from

these tubes impinges on a simple two blade paddle which acts as a stirrer/flow
straightener. The two bladed paddle rotates on a vertical shaft supported by a bushed
plug, in the hole used as the outlet for the free vortex experiment, and located at the
top by a suitable hole in the bridge piece fitting across the diameter of the vessel. This
bridge piece also houses the probes required to determine the co-ordinates of the
vortex profile to be measured.

FIGURE 2 : FORCED VORTEX APPARATUS

6.0 Experimental Procedure

1. The control valve awas ensured in closed direction by turning to clockwise
direction and the outlet valve for the flow from the cylinder was fully open
where in anti-clockwise direction.The pump was switch on.
2. The control valve was open gently in an anti-clockwise direction.The force of
the flowing water which enter into the cylinder will pushed the oeddle
bladewhich will rotate at the required speed.
3. The water level in the cylinder was ensured at the maximum height and was
maintened constantly.The outlet valve was used to controlled the water level in
the cylinder. The knob was turned in anti-clockwise direction to opened the
valve, where else to close it,the knob was turned in clockwise direction.
4. When the water level is constantly maintained at the maximum height of the
cylinder, the pointers of the vortex radius profile measurement gauge was
lowed down to the surface of the water profile. At the same time, the time
taken was taken for the peddle blade to rotated until 50 cylce and measured in
second.
5. The height of the vortex profile was measured by measureing the height of
each pointers of the vortex radius profile measurement gauge. The data was
recorded in the given table.
6. The procedure (2) to (5) was repeated for two other different flow rates.

7.0 Result

Table 1: Measurement of surface height of forced vortex

No

Rotational
speed, N
(rps)

Time taken
for 50 cycles
of blade
rotation
(second)
46.72

28.96

0.5792

24.85

0.4970

Probe Measuring Depth, zmea (mm) at different vortex

radius r (mm)
r = 110

r = 90

r = 70

95.0

105.0

114.0

132.0
140.0

0.9344

104.0
140.0

r = 50

r = 30

r=0

120.0

122.0

125.0

150.0

163.0

175.0

181.0

175.0

180.0

194.0

204.0

Table 2:-Comparison of measured and theoretical height of vortex surface

N
(rps)

Height of vortex
surface (mm)

0.934
4

zmea
hth
zth = zo hth

r = 110
95.0
21.26
103.74

r = 90
105.0
14.23
110.77

r = 70
114.0
8.61
116.39

r = 50
120.0
4.39
120.61

r = 30
122.0
1.58
123.42

r=0
125.0
0.0
125.0

0.579
2

zmea

104.0

132.0

150.0

163.0

175.0

181.0

hth

8.17

5.48

3.31

1.69

0.61

0.0

zth = zo hth

172.83

175.52

177.69

179.31

180.39

181.0

zmea

105.0

140.0

175.0

180.0

194.0

204.0

hth

6.01

4.03

2.44

1.24

0.45

0.0

zth = zo hth

197.99

199.97

201.56

202.76

203.55

204.0

0.497
0

GRAPH
7

Graph1 of Z vs R (0.9344 rps)

Hint:z-measured vs r

Probe Measuring Depth, z (mm) at different

vortex radius, r (mm)

Slope must be cal.

Graph2 of Z vs R (0.5792 rps)

Hint: z-measured vs r
Slope must be cal.

Graph3 of Z vs R2 (0.4970rps)
Hint:
Slope must be cal.

8.0 Discussion

Based on the graphs above, we noticed that the graphs that have been plot are
in linear shape with negative slope respectively. The graphs shows that the greater
the value of the r2, the smaller the value of the vortex surface, z.
The equations shown
Graph 1: y = m1X+c
Graph 2 : y =m2X+c
Graph 3 : y =-m3X+c

slope of the graph = m =

r2

The value of slope z/r2

1.
Graph 1 , N = 0.9344 rps
Slope from the graph2, m1 = mm-1
Slope of theory, h/ r = /2g
= (2N) / 2g
= (2 X 0.9344 rps) /2 (9810 mm/s)
= 1.76 X10-4 mm-1
2. Graph 2, N = 0.5792 rps
Slope from the graph2, m2 = mm-1
Slope of theory, h/ r = /2g
= (2N) / 2g
= (2 X 0.5792 rps) /(2 X 9810 mm/s)
= 6.75 X10-4 mm-1
3.

Graph 3, N = 0.4970 rps

Slope from the graph3, m 3= mm-1
Slope of theory, h/ r = /2g
= (2N) / 2g
= (2 X 0.4970rps) / (2 X 9810 mm/ s)
= 4.97 X 10-4 mm-1

Based on the above calculations, we realized that the value of the slopes gain is
not really the same. In other words, the values for theoretical slope is different
compare to the actual slope from the graph. So compared both the value obtained, it

was most likely the same and if compared with the angular velocity, the higher the
angular velocity, the value of the gradient is smaller.
Based on the graphs slope, we noticed that all of the graphs that have been plot
shown us the negative slope. There are some errors that occur while we are
conducting this experiment that totally affect the values of the slope. There are a few
factors that contributed to those errors.

(a)

(b)

Parallex error occured when conducting this experiment. In order to settle

up this problem, the position of the eye of the observer must be
perpendicularly to the scale of the measurement apparatus.
Time taken for the 50 cycles of the blade must be recorded carefully.
Otherwise, it will cause an error. This kind of usually happened when the
observer failed to recorded the absolute time taken for 50 complete cycles.
This situation cause the measurement become not accurate. Therefore, pay
a full concentration while counting the time taken for the complete cycles.

Ways to overcome:
a) Zero error usually occured due to the bad condition of the measurement tools
such as ruler or meter ruler. In order to overcome this problem, we have to
make sure that all the measuring tools that wanted to be used are in the good
condition and at the same time, the observer also have to be focused while
taking the measurement to decrease the risk of error to happen.
b) The reading for the time taken for thr pedal blade completing 50 rotation is
repeated for several times and the average value is recorded.Using this step,
the reading is more accurate and we can decrease the error.

9.0 Conclusion
10

Overall, when the rotational speed (N) of the blade in the cylinder increase, its
found that the probe measuring depth, z at r = 0 also increase. The graph of the probe
measuring depth z, against the radius is a curve graph, while graph of the probe
measuring depth at different vortex against radius square r2, is a straight line graph
with negative slope. The graph slope found that not much different compare with the
slope calculated theoritically. This is because few errors occur during experiment.

11