Fluid Fundamentals
It is defined as the study of fluids at rest (statics) and in motion (dynamics).
What is Fluid Mechanics?
Hydraulic brake systems rely on this specific law to ensure pressure is transmitted equally to all slave cylinders.
What is Pascal’s Law?
This device measures the difference between stagnation pressure and static pressure to calculate fluid velocity.
What is a Pitot Tube?
This is the distance between the leading edge and the trailing edge of an aerofoil.
What is the Chord?
When a fluid jet impacts a stationary flat plate, the resulting reaction force (thrust) is in this direction relative to the plate surface.
What is normal (perpendicular)?
This is the ratio of a substance's density to the density of a reference substance, such as water.
What is Specific Gravity?
According to the Continuity Equation, if the cross-sectional area of a pipe decreases, this must happen to the velocity to maintain a constant mass flow.
What is increase?
In a wind tunnel, these instruments provide a visual or physical reading of the pressure head.
What are manometers?
Calculated as the ratio of span to chord, a higher value in this parameter usually reduces induced drag.
What is the Aspect Ratio?
The generation of reaction forces when a jet hits a plate is caused by a change in this physical property.
What is momentum?
This phenomenon allows a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without external forces, driven by surface tension and adhesion.
What is Capillary Action?
In a journal bearing, higher lubricant viscosity increases shear stress and power loss, but provides a better version of this.
What is film thickness?
This principle is the mathematical foundation used to calculate velocity based on the pressure difference in a Pitot tube.
What is Bernoulli’s Principle?
This ratio is determined by measuring forces on a model in a wind tunnel and serves as a key indicator of aerodynamic efficiency.
What is the Lift-to-Drag ratio (L/D)?
To determine the depth of the center of pressure for a circular cover, you need its dimensions, the depth of immersion, and this physical property of the fluid.
What is density?
In this specific type of flow, fluid properties like velocity and pressure at a single point do not change over time.
What is Steady Flow?
This equation, represented as A1V1 = A2V2, is vital for maintaining mass flow rates in pipes with varying diameters.
What is the Continuity Equation?
A Pitot-static tube specifically measures the difference between these two types of pressure.
What are total and static pressure?
The Lift-to-Drag ratio indicates exactly how much lift is generated for every unit of this.
What is drag?
When an inspection cover is immersed vertically, the depth of immersion is required to find this geometric property (often called the second moment of area).
What is the centroid?
This measure of volume change under pressure is considered essential for the study of gas dynamics.
What is Compressibility?
In a hydraulic system, the input force is multiplied based on the ratio of these specific dimensions between the master and slave units.
What are cylinder area ratios?
When using a Pitot tube, this specific variable is considered "critical" for the final calculation of velocity.
What is the difference in pressure (entry and exit)?
Increasing this parameter is a common way for engineers to improve performance by reducing the drag induced by wingtips.
What is the Aspect Ratio?
In a journal bearing, higher speeds lead to an increase in this type of resistance.
What is viscous resistance (or friction)?