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The head loss through the rotameter will was be determined using a setup similar to the clogging experiment. There will be a pump circulating the fluid, an attentutor to reduce the pulses from the pump, and pressure sensors the setup that is diagrammed in Figure 1. A peristalic pump was used to circulate the fluid at a certain flow rate. Two attenuators were used to minimize the effect of the pulsing from the peristalic pump, and one pressure sensor was used to measure the pressure difference before and after the rotameter.
A ramp function in process controller was used to control the flow rate of the circulating fluid. The flow rate was gradually increased from 8 ml/min to 380 ml/min.
The head loss will was be determined by performing an energy balance around the rotameter. The pressure sensor readings and the height difference between the inlet and outlet of the rotameter will be used to find the energy losspressure reading from the standing water is subtracted from the measured pressure difference values to cancel out the height term. The resulting pressure difference corresponds directly to head loss of the rotameter.