The Venturi Meter and Pitot Tube apparatus range covers two of the most fundamental flow-measurement devices taught in every undergraduate Fluid Mechanics laboratory. Together they let students move from the theoretical Bernoulli equation to real, repeatable measurements of discharge coefficient, velocity distribution, and stagnation pressure. Scientico India manufactures and exports these benches to engineering colleges, polytechnics, and technical training institutes, supplying complete self-contained units that mount on a standard hydraulic bench or run as free-standing sump-and-pump assemblies.
Equipment in this range
- Venturi meter test rig, a converging-throat-diverging brass or acrylic Venturi installed in a horizontal pipe run, tapped for inlet and throat piezometers, used to determine the coefficient of discharge Cd by comparing manometric head against actual discharge collected in a measuring tank.
- Orifice meter apparatus, a sharp-edged plate orifice in the same pipeline geometry as the Venturi, letting students contrast the two devices on identical flow so the effect of vena contracta on Cd becomes obvious.
- Pitot-static tube apparatus, a traversable Pitot-static probe mounted in a transparent test section (usually a rectangular or circular duct) with a differential manometer, used to measure point velocity and plot the velocity profile across the section.
- Combined Venturi and orifice bench, a single hydraulic bench mounting both meters in parallel or series, with isolation valves, for comparative-loss experiments in a limited lab footprint.
- Nozzle-and-mouthpiece meter, a companion setup demonstrating flow through convergent nozzles, external cylindrical mouthpieces, and Borda mouthpieces, extending the discharge-coefficient family.
- Flow-through-pipe friction rig with Venturi metering, a longer straight run of pipes of different bores and materials, with a Venturi as the reference flow meter, used for Darcy friction factor experiments.
- Rotameter calibration unit, a variable-area meter installed downstream of the Venturi and orifice section so a secondary meter can be calibrated against the primary volumetric measurement in the collecting tank.
Typical experiments demonstrated
- Determination of Cd of a Venturi meter. The theoretical discharge is Qth = (a1·a2)/√(a12 − a22) · √(2gh), where a1 and a2 are inlet and throat areas and h is the differential head in metres of the flowing fluid. Actual discharge Qact is measured by the time-rise method in a calibrated collecting tank, and Cd = Qact / Qth. Students repeat the run at several flow rates and plot Cd against Reynolds number.
- Determination of Cd of an orifice meter. Same governing equation with a2 taken as the geometric orifice area; the lower Cd value (typically well below the Venturi’s) is discussed in terms of the vena contracta and the coefficients of contraction and velocity, with Cd = Cc · Cv.
- Velocity measurement using a Pitot-static tube. The point velocity is V = Cp · √(2g·Δh), where Δh is the differential head between the stagnation and static tappings and Cp is the Pitot coefficient (close to unity for a well-made probe). Students traverse the probe across the duct diameter and integrate to obtain the mean velocity, comparing it against the collecting-tank discharge.
- Verification of Bernoulli’s theorem. Using a tapered duct with multiple piezometer tappings, the sum (p/ρg + V2/2g + z) is computed at each station and shown to remain effectively constant, with small deviations attributed to friction losses.
- Loss coefficient comparison, Venturi vs orifice. Permanent pressure loss across each meter is measured with a U-tube manometer over the same flow range; students tabulate loss as a fraction of the differential head, illustrating why the Venturi is preferred where pumping cost matters.
- Calibration of a rotameter against a Venturi. The rotameter scale reading is compared with the Venturi-derived discharge, and a correction curve is plotted, teaching the concept of a primary versus secondary flow standard.
Key specifications you should ask for
| Parameter | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Main pipe bore | 25 mm to 50 mm nominal |
| Venturi throat-to-inlet diameter ratio | 0.4 to 0.6 |
| Converging cone angle / diverging cone angle | approx. 20° / 5° to 7° |
| Flow range | up to about 1000 L/h with a small centrifugal pump |
| Differential manometer | U-tube mercury or inverted water manometer, 300 to 500 mm scale |
| Collecting tank | 40 to 100 L, transparent front, calibrated scale, drain valve |
| Sump tank | approx. 100 to 250 L, MS with anti-corrosive coating or SS |
| Pump | 0.5 HP single-phase, 230 V, 50 Hz centrifugal (three-phase on request) |
| Material of Venturi/orifice | gunmetal, brass, acrylic, or SS 304; acrylic for teaching visibility |
| Frame | MS powder-coated or stainless steel |
| Control valves | ball or gate, brass or SS, with bypass for fine flow trim |
These are indicative ranges, final bore, material, and instrumentation are configured to the syllabus and to the client’s laboratory constraints, and the quotation reflects the chosen combination.
Applications & syllabus fit
The Venturi meter and Pitot tube apparatus is a core requirement in the Fluid Mechanics laboratory of BTech Mechanical, Civil, Chemical, Aeronautical, and Automobile Engineering programmes, and equally in diploma courses in mechanical and civil engineering under state technical boards. It is used in the AICTE model curriculum for second-year Fluid Mechanics / Hydraulics practicals, and appears in university lab manuals across India, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Beyond degree teaching, the same benches serve ITI and polytechnic instrumentation courses, industrial training centres, and vocational programmes that need a demonstrable, hands-on introduction to differential-pressure flow measurement before students step into a plant environment where DP transmitters, orifice runs, and averaging Pitot tubes are the working reality.
Standards & compliance
Scientico India operates under an ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management system, which governs design control, incoming inspection of bought-out components (pumps, valves, tubing), and final leak and calibration checks before dispatch. Units intended for the European Economic Area are supplied with the CE marking where the relevant product-safety directives apply, so the equipment can be lawfully placed on the EEA market by the importer. For the discharge-measurement devices themselves, the internationally recognised reference for differential-pressure flow meters is the ISO 5167 series (orifice plates, nozzles, Venturi tubes), and units can be built to broadly follow its geometric proportions on request for institutions that want their teaching hardware aligned with the industrial standard. Educational teaching-rig geometry does not require full ISO 5167 metrological certification, and this is stated clearly in the technical offer so buyers are not misled.
Ordering & delivery
Domestic Indian orders are dispatched ex-works Ambala, Haryana, by road transport, typically crated in plywood boxes with the sump tank shipped separately to protect the piezometer stand and manometer glassware. Export orders are quoted on FOB Mundra or FOB Nhava Sheva as standard, with CIF to the buyer’s nearest sea port available on request; air freight is offered for urgent single units where the volumetric weight justifies it. Typical lead time is four to six weeks from confirmed order and advance, extending during peak academic-tender season. Every consignment ships with a test certificate, a bilingual (English) instruction and experiment manual, a spare gasket and tubing kit, and a soft copy of the wiring and piping schematic for the lab technician. Installation guidance is provided by video call at no additional charge; on-site commissioning by a Scientico engineer is quoted separately when required by the tender.
See all Fluid Mechanics products →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Venturi meter and an orifice meter in the lab?
Both use the same Bernoulli-derived equation, but the Venturi’s smooth converging-diverging profile recovers most of the pressure and gives a coefficient of discharge typically in the high 0.9s, while the sharp-edged orifice suffers a vena contracta and shows a much lower Cd, usually in the 0.6 to 0.65 range. Students see this contrast directly on the same apparatus.
Why does a Pitot-static tube measure velocity and not discharge directly?
A Pitot-static probe measures the difference between stagnation and static pressure at a single point, giving the local velocity from V equals the square root of two g times delta h. To get discharge you traverse the probe across the section and integrate the velocity profile, or you multiply the mean velocity by the cross-sectional area.
What material is used for the Venturi in your apparatus?
Standard build is gunmetal or brass for durability, with a transparent acrylic option when the customer wants students to see the converging-diverging geometry. Stainless steel 304 is offered for laboratories using aggressive test fluids or for longer service life.
Do I need a separate hydraulic bench to run this apparatus?
No. Our standard offering is a self-contained bench with an integrated sump tank, centrifugal pump, calibrated collecting tank, and control valves, so the unit only needs a single-phase power point and a water fill. A hydraulic-bench mounted version is also available for institutions that already own a bench.
Can the same rig be used for verification of Bernoulli's theorem?
The dedicated Bernoulli apparatus with a tapered duct and multiple piezometer tappings is the correct rig for that experiment. The Venturi and Pitot bench can demonstrate the principle qualitatively, but for a full station-by-station verification we recommend the Bernoulli apparatus from the same Fluid Mechanics range.
What are your export terms and typical lead time?
Export orders are quoted FOB Mundra or FOB Nhava Sheva as standard, with CIF to the buyer’s nearest port on request. Typical lead time is four to six weeks from confirmed order, and every unit ships with a test certificate, experiment manual, and spare tubing and gasket kit.
One honest ask
We don't gate anything on this site. You just read the whole thing free. If it was useful, leave your email and two things happen: we send you this page as a plain-text block you can paste into a tender file or an internal email, and we notify you the next time we publish a buyer tool like this one. Nothing else. No drip sequence, no sales calls booked without asking.