Expt Guide A2 - Efflux Time

University of Santo Tomas
Faculty of Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering
Experiment A2:
Efflux Time for a Tank with Different Exit Pipes
1. OBJECTIVES
1.1 To determine the efflux time needed to drain a tank with a set of exit pipes with different
lengths and diameters.
1.2 To derive a mathematical correlation between the efflux time and the pipe size and the tank
diameter.
2. THEORY
Pipe flows may be classified either as a laminar or turbulent. In laminar flow, the fluid rate is
maximum at the pipe axis and eventually decreases to zero at the pipe wall while in turbulent flow,
the velocity distribution is more uniform across the pipe diameter [1]. In terms of the dimensionless
number, Reynolds Number (NRe), laminar flow occurs at NRe  2,100 while turbulent flow occurs at
NRe  4,000. In a case where any of the two situations mentioned is not strictly observed, the flow
is said to be transitional [2].
As the fluid enters one end of the pipe, the velocity distribution in the radial direction up to a
certain length of the pipe cannot be classified under any of the classification mentioned earlier.
However, as the fluid continues to flow, the velocity distribution becomes more defined. At the
point, the flow is said to have reached the “fully developed” stage. The length of the pipe that is
necessary to achieve the fully developed stage is called the “entry length” or “entrance length”, Le.
It is the length wherein the boundary layers grow in thickness and meet at the center of the pipe [2],
thus creating a well-defined velocity profile. Typical entrance lengths are given by:
Le  0.06DNRe  for laminar flow and

Le  4.4D NRe 
1
6 for turbulent flow.
3. EQUIPMENT/MATERIALS
Efflux time apparatus distilled water

calibrated pail glycerol
stopwatch ruled tape
4. SAFETY
Make sure that the tank is properly mounted before starting the experiment. If the tank is not
fastened properly to the rack, wrong calculations may result due to the inaccurate water level. The
pipe to be used must be tightly sealed to the tank to avoid leakage during the operation. Since the
liquid spillage is impossible to avoid, it must be controlled at any time to avoid accident due to
spillage on the floor.
5. PRELIMINARY
5.1 Using the viscometer/viscotester, measure the viscosity of water and 50% glycerol-water
mixture. Record the temperature of the mixture when measuring the viscosity.
5.2 Prepare the preliminary calculations before the start of the experiment. (Refer to the Section
2 of this text.)
ChE 424L: Chemical Engineering Laboratory I |Experiment Guide 1|Page

Experiment A2: Efflux Time for a Tank with Different Exit Pipes
6. OPERATING PROCEDURE AND CONDITIONS
6.1 Start-Up
6.1.1 Prepare 3.5 L of water and 3.5 L of 50% glycerol in separate containers.
6.1.2 Obtain the dimensions of the tank and the pipes.
6.1.3 Have a stopwatch ready.
6.2 Experimental Procedure
6.2.1 Cover the orifice of the tank with your hand. Slowly pour the water into the tank until
it is full.
6.2.2 Note the time it takes to empty the tank.
6.2.3 Attach pipe 1 to the tank orifice. Cover the orifice of the pipe with your hand and fill
the tank with water.
6.2.4 Allow at least 1 minute before draining the tank. Record the times at which the liquid
level passes height intervals of 2 cm as seen at the level view port. Determine the efflux
time. Make three trials.
[NOTE: Efflux time is the time necessary to empty the tank alone]
6.2.5 Repeat steps 6.2.3 to 6.2.4 for each pipe size.
6.2.6 Repeat steps 6.2.1 to 6.2.5 using glycerol solution as the liquid sample.
6.3 Shutdown
6.3.1 Be sure to clean the tank and the pipes properly by allowing soap and water to run
trough these parts.
6.3.2 Clean the working area. Make sure that the area is dry and not sticky.
Finally, is everything TIDY and SAFE?
7. TREATMENT OF RESULTS
7.1 Tabulate the data following the given format below:
Pipe No. Diameter Length Height Average Time NRe Le

Interval Velocity
: : : : : : : :
: : : : : : :
7.2 Calculate the theoretical average linear velocity ( u ), entry length (Le) and the efflux time (teff).
7.3 Plot the height interval vs. time based on the experimental results.
7.4 For exit pipes of equal lengths, plot Le vs. D/d (ratio of the diameter of the tank to that of the
exit pipe) based on the experimental results.
7.5 For exit pipes of equal diameters, plot Le vs. L/D (ratio of the exit pipe length to tank diameter)
based on the experimental results.
7.6 Plot teff vs. L/D and teff vs. D/d based on experimental and theoretical results.
8LR 2  H
t eff  ln 1   for laminar flow
gR 0
4
 L
5LR 2  H
t eff  ln1   for turbulent flow
gR 0
4
 L
where: L = length of the exit pipe

R0 = inside radius of the exit pipe
R = inside radius of the tank
H = height of the tank

Experiment A2: Efflux Time for a Tank with Different Exit Pipes
8. ANALYSIS/INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS
8.1 Interpret the graphs obtained.

8.2 By statistical analysis, derive a mathematical equation that relates efflux time with the pipe size
and the diameter of the tank.
8.3 How do you explain the discrepancies between the theoretical and the actual efflux time
obtained?
8.4 How does vorticity at the surface affect efflux time?
9. QUESTIONS
9.1 Give practical applications of the principle of efflux time. What areas of chemical engineering
can we apply this concept?
9.2 In cases where there is a desired efflux time, what design considerations must be specified?
10. REFERENCES
[1] Munson, B. R., Young, D. F., and Okiishi, T. H., Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics, 3rd ed., John
Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1998.
[2] Papanastasiou, T. C., Applied Fluid Mechanics, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1994.
[3] Bird, Robert Byron, Stewart and Lightfoot, Transport Phenomena. New York: John Wilet and
Sons, Inc., 1924.
[4] Foust, Alan S., et. Al., Principles of Unit Operations, 2nd ed., New York: John Wiley and Sons,
Inc., 1980.
[5] McCabe, Warren L., Julian C. Smith and peter Harriott, Unit operations of Chemical
Engineering, 5th Ed. New York: McGraw –Hill Book Co., Inc., 1980.
[6] Perry, Robert and Green, D., Perry’s Chemical Engineer’s Handbook, 6th ed., McGraw-Hill, Inc.,
1984.

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University of Santo Tomas

Le  0.06DNRe  for laminar flow and

Efflux time apparatus distilled water

ChE 424L: Chemical Engineering Laboratory I |Experiment Guide 1|Page

6. OPERATING PROCEDURE AND CONDITIONS

6.2 Experimental Procedure

Finally, is everything TIDY and SAFE?

7.1 Tabulate the data following the given format below:

Pipe No. Diameter Length Height Average Time NRe Le

where: L = length of the exit pipe

ChE 424L: Chemical Engineering Laboratory I |Experiment Guide 2|Page

8.1 Interpret the graphs obtained.

[2] Papanastasiou, T. C., Applied Fluid Mechanics, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1994.

ChE 424L: Chemical Engineering Laboratory I |Experiment Guide 3|Page

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