A fluid is compressible if its density can be increased by squeezing it into a smaller volume. At flow speeds less than 220 mph (354 kph), one third the speed of sound, we can assume that air is incompressible for all practical purposes. At speeds closer to that of sound (660 mph [1,622 kph]) however, the variation in the density of the air must be taken into account. The effects of temperature change also become important at these speeds. A regular commercial airplane, after landing, will feel cool to the touch. The Concorde jet, which flies at twice the speed of sound, can feel hotter than boiling water.
Flow patterns of the air may be laminar or turbulent. In laminar or streamlined flow, air, at any point in the flow, moves with the same speed in the same direction at all times so that smoke in the flow appears to be smooth and regular. The smoke then changes to turbulent flow, which is cloudy and irregular, with the air continually changing speed and direction.
Laminar flow, without viscosity, is governed by Bernoulli's principle that states that the sum of the static and dynamic pressures in a fluid remains the same.
This page contains 184 words.
Aerodynamics article
Read the rest of this article.
This article contains 2,137 words
(approx. 7 pages at 300 words per page).
Order our Aerodynamics Article
