Thursday, November 23, 2023

[hbuwirha] high flux laminar flow water fountain

laminar flow of water through air is aesthetically pleasing: the water is shiny, clear, and seemingly motionless even though it is moving.

what are some impressive demonstrations of this, typically water fountains?  impressiveness can be quantified by the amount of water flowing, the flux.  it is also more impressive if the water travels in an arc, not just straight down.

over long distances, the interaction between water and air (boundary layer) probably destroys laminar flow.  perhaps encase in a wind tunnel: make the air travel approximately the same velocity.  there remain devilish details, because water velocity changes over distance.  encased, it would be difficult for people to touch the water to verify it is actually flowing.  perhaps a robotic arm.

also, water velocity increasing will decrease pressure according to Bernoulli's principle.  it will break apart into droplets if it falls far enough.

some liquid other than water?  what property of a liquid makes it good for demonstrating laminar flow?  probably viscosity, which affects Reynolds number.

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