A Pitot tube is used to measure the velocity of fluid flow by converting kinetic energy into pressure.

The Pitot tube works based on Bernoulli’s principle, which relates pressure and velocity in flowing fluids.

The Pitot tube measures the total (stagnation) pressure of the fluid when the flow is brought to rest.

The difference gives dynamic pressure or velocity head, which can be used to calculate velocity.

From Bernoulli’s equation: V = √[2(P₀ − P)/ρ], where P₀ is stagnation pressure and P is static pressure.

Density (ρ) is needed in the velocity equation derived from Bernoulli’s principle.

A manometer is commonly used to measure the pressure difference between static and stagnation ports.

Pitot tubes are accurate in steady, incompressible, and ideally inviscid flows where Bernoulli’s equation applies.

The open tip of the Pitot tube, aligned with the flow, is the stagnation point where velocity is zero and pressure is maximum.

Pitot-static tubes combine both stagnation and static pressure measurements, improving accuracy and reducing directional error.