University of Bahrain

College of engineering
Department of mechanical engineering

Uncertainty Analysis –
Performance of
Centrifugal Ventilator

Conducted By:
Elyas Mohammad Ajaz Rafique 2015-0672
Sec.02
Instructor: Prof. Teomen Ayhan
OBJECTIVES:
 - Address the issue of experimental errors by considering
a very simple system.
 - Determine the efficiency of a centrifugal compressor
and uncertainty propagations on the efficiency.
MEASUREMENTS PROPERTIES:
1. Uncertainty: range of possible values within which
the true value of the measurement lies. Also, its associated
with the bias and precision errors.
2. Sensitivity: the ratio of the change of the sensor's
output signal to the corresponding change in the
Measurand quantity.
3. Measurand: A quantity intended to be measured.
4. Error: a measure of the estimated difference between
the observed or calculated value of a quantity and its true
value.
5. Standard deviation : how are the data differ from the
mean value.
6. Standard error: it’s the standard deviation divided by
the square root of the number of data.
7. Resolution: smallest value that can be measured by the
device.
8. Backlash: the distance between tooth space and tooth
thickness, it contributes for both bias and precision errors.
9. Accuracy: the difference between the measured and the
true value.
10. Precision: how data are spread (close to each other).
TYPES OF ERROR:
 In general the error is subdivided into two main
categories, which are:
1. Bias error (systematic error): in which can be treated
by calibration (loading error, human error and calibration
error).

2. Precision error (random error): in which can be

treated statistically (human error, disturbance to the
equipment's and fluctuating conditions).
HYSTERESIS:
 A property of a system such that an output value is not a
strict function of the corresponding input, but also
incorporates some lag.
CALIBRATION:
 is the process of configuring an instrument to provide a result
for a sample within an acceptable range, and its subdivided
into two categories, which are:
1. Single point calibration: Is used when the output is exactly
proportional to the input.
2. Multipoint calibration: Is used when the output is not
simply proportional to the input.
CENTRIFUGAL VENTILATOR:
GOOD CENTRIFUGAL VENTILATOR
SHOULD HAVE:
 High efficiency.
 Minimal maintenance.

 Good reliability.
 Having a good impeller.
CENTRIFUGAL VENTILATOR PARTS:

1. Barometer:
Is used for measuring air pressure, but its use is
more frequent in areas such as weather
forecasting more precisely.

2. Manometer :
The manometer is also a device for measuring
pressure and also works on the principle of
using a liquid to calculate the difference in
pressure in the tube and out of it, can measure
pressures lower than atmospheric one.
CENTRIFUGAL VENTILATOR PARTS:
3. Nozzle:
Is often a pipe or tube and they are frequently
used to control the rate of flow, speed,
direction, mass, shape, and/or the pressure of
the stream.

4.Pitot tube:
Is a system of pressure-sensitive instruments
that is most often used in aviation to
determine an aircraft's airspeed, Mach
number, altitude, and altitude trend.
CENTRIFUGAL VENTILATOR PARTS:

5. Motor:
A machine, especially one powered by
electricity or internal combustion, that supplies
motive power for a vehicle or for another
device with moving parts.

6.Impeller:
Is a rotating part of a centrifugal pump,
compressor, or other machine designed to
move a fluid by rotation, Its classified as:-
a. Open impeller.
b. Semi-open impeller.
c. Closed impeller.
TYPES PF IMPELLERS:
 Open impeller:

This design is more sensitive to wear and tear of the blades and
it is easier to clean whereas in a closed impeller, if stringy
material or solids are pumped, the impeller can clog and it
becomes really difficult to clean them.
 Semi-open impeller:

They have a back wall that adds strength to the impeller. Also, 
Semi-open impellers are usually used with liquids or products
that have solids. Reduced efficiency is a common problem with
semi-closed impellers, but the ability to pass solids is an
important trade-off. 
 Closed impeller:

The most commonly used impellers in the industry since they

can deal with explosive fluids ,so they are expensive. Also, you
cannot easily modify a closed impeller so as to improve its
performance.
PROCEDURE:
 Switch on the fan and adjust its velocity to the required.
 Take the readings.
UNCERTAINTY:

Uncertainty errors are due to the

inability to read a measurement
device exactly.

Example:
The finest division on a ruler is
normally mm, so that in using a
ruler to measure length one has
an uncertainty of ± 0.5 mm.
READINGS TAKEN:
 Ambient Temperature (T): 24 °C
 Barometric Pressure (Po): 103 KPa
Test Exit P P N P
No. damper Nozzle Differenc (Newton) (rpm) (Newton) Petit
openin (cm e   tube
g (cm (cm

1 100% 40 6.4 3.2 1863 Average 48.5

value is

2 50% 39.4 5.8 3.2 1900 assumed to 46

be 1.0

3 30% 37.3 7 3.1 1932   33.5

EFFICIENCY OF CENTRIFUGAL
VENTILATOR:
 The efficiency of the centrifugal ventilator is given by:-

=
Where:
: the efficiency.
:pressure difference (pa).
: volume flow rate (m^3 /s).
: force (N).
: angular velocity (rad/s).
: the length (m).
DERIVATION OF UNCERTAINTY OF THE
EFFICIENCY:

=
 
*d= + dQ +d +d
 
*
 
*
*=
 
 *
 
*
 
d= + dQ +d + d
 

d=()
MATLAB CODE:
 dp= 0.001 ; dw=0.01 ; dq=0.1 ; dl=0.005 ; df=0.1;
 l=0.179;

 h=[400 394];p=[627.84 568.98 ] ; w=[195.09 198.97 ] ; f=[2.2 2.2 ] ;

 q=0.0078.*sqrt(h);

 n=(p.*q) ./ (l.*w.*f);

 dn=n.*( dp./p + dq./q + dl./l + dw./w + df./f );

 format long

 %dp/p term

 dp./p

 %dq/q

 dq./q

 %dl/l

 dl./l

 %dw/w

 dw./w

 %df/f

 df./f

 %terms df/f & dq/q are going to affect the results

RESULTS:
 Resulted Q, and d:-

Test Q
No. (m3/s) ) (Rad/s)

1 0.1560 627.84 195.09 87.65 0.9108

2 0.1548 568.98 198.97 77.28 0.8087

RESULTS:
 Obtained Uncertainties:-

Test No.

1 1.593 0.6410 0.0279 5.126 0.0455

2 1.758 0.6459   5.026 0.0455

EFFICIENCY OBTAINED:
However, the efficiency of the centrifugal compressor was found
using the formula:

=

d=()

It is found to be:
87.65% ± 0.9108 & 77.28% ± 0.8087
GRAPHS:
The following figure shows the relation between both of pressure
difference (N/m2) and Efficiency with volume flow rate (m3/s):-

Q vs P Q vs n

640 90

88
620
86
Pressure Difference P (N/m^2)

600 84

Efficiency n
82
580
80

560 78

76
540
74

520 72
0.1546 0.1548 0.155 0.1552 0.1554 0.1556 0.1558 0.156 0.1562

Volume flow rate Q (m^3/s)

It is clear that when the volume flow rate (m3/s) increases,
both pressure difference (N/m2) and Efficiency increase.
Therefore, they are directly proportional.
PROBLEM:

It could be clearly noted that 𝒅𝑸/Q and df/f term are much
larger compared to the other terms. It means that both of
them are contributing in affecting the results of our
experiment much larger to the other terms in which leading
to efficiency loss.
SUGGESTIONS:

1.Use a more significant device to measure the flow rate

instead of the one used in this experiment.

2. It would be better if there is an instrument to measure

the force losses rather than to be assumed to be one in the
test.
APPENDIX:
Conducted By:
Elyas Mohammad Ajaz Rafique 2015-0672
Sec.02
Instructor: Prof. Teomen Ayhan