Explore: Compressible Flows

Compressible flow (or gas dynamics) is the branch of fluid mechanics that deals with flows having significant changes in fluid density. While all flows

technologies. Recent work in aerodynamics has focused on issues related to compressible flow, turbulence, and boundary layers and has become increasingly computational

incompressible flows (e.g. most liquid flows and gases moving at low Mach number). More advanced forms may be applied to compressible flows at higher Mach

extended to include compressible flows. For compressible flow the isentropic relations can be used (also valid for incompressible flow): q = p s ( 1 + γ

naturally when the continuity equation is nondimensionalized for compressible flows. If density variations are related to pressure through the isentropic

conductivity. The Euler equations can be applied to incompressible and compressible flows. The incompressible Euler equations consist of Cauchy equations for

incompressible flow shows that the stagnation pressure is equal to the dynamic pressure and static pressure combined. In compressible flows, stagnation pressure

flow rates than the coefficients of conical-entrance and quarter-circle plates, especially at low flows and high viscosities. For compressible flows such

and the velocity of the flow will increase. However, as the speed of the flow approaches the speed of sound, compressibility effects on the gas are to

disturbances within the flow are relatively small, which allows mathematicians and engineers to linearize the compressible flow equations into a relatively