Thesis (MTech (Mechanical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011. / Despite the extensive research work carried out on flow through short square-edged orifice plates over the last century (e.g. Johansen, 1930; Benedict, 1977; Alvi et al., 1978; Swamee, 2005; ESDU, 2007), gaps in the engineering data still exist for certain ranges of flow conditions and geometries. The majority of data available in the literature are for Newtonian fluids in the turbulent flow regime (ESDU, 2007). Insufficient data have been observed for the orifice with pipe diameter ratio, β = 0.2, in the laminar flow regime. There are no experimental data for β = 0.3 and 0.57. The objective of this thesis was to conduct wide-ranging experimental studies of the flow in orifice plates, which included those geometrical configurations, by measuring pressure loss coefficients and discharge coefficients across the orifice plates using both Newtonian fluids and non-Newtonian fluids in both laminar and turbulent flow regimes. The test work was conducted on the valve test rig at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Four classical circular short square-edged orifice plates having, β = 0.2, 0.3, 0.57 and 0.7, were tested. In addition, two generation 0 Von Koch orifice plates (Von Koch, 1904), with equivalent cross sectional area were also tested for β = 0.57. Water was used as Newtonian fluid to obtain turbulent regime data and also for calibration purposes to ensure measurement accuracy and carboxymethyl cellulose, bentonite and kaolin slurries were used at different concentrations to obtain laminar and transitional loss coefficient data. The hydraulic grade line method was used to evaluate pressure loss coefficients (Edwards et al., 1985), while the flange tap arrangement method was used to determine the discharge coefficients (ESDU, 2007). A tube viscometer with three different pipe diameters was used to obtain the rheological properties of the fluids. The results for each test are presented in the form of pressure loss coefficient (kor) and discharge coefficient (Cd) against pipe Reynolds number (Re)