Simple Bernoulli's exercise to find air flow rate

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a Bernoulli's principle exercise involving the calculation of airflow rate through a system with varying pipe diameters. Participants explore the application of Bernoulli's equation and continuity equation in a scenario where airflow transitions from a smaller pipe to a larger pipe, addressing issues related to the derived equations and unit conversions.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes their approach to solving a Bernoulli exercise but encounters an error in Excel due to a negative value in the denominator of their derived equation.
  • Another participant suggests starting from the original Bernoulli equation and points out that the denominator in the participant's equation is incorrectly flipped.
  • The original poster acknowledges deriving their equation from the Bernoulli equation but realizes they made an error in handling the pressure difference (deltaP) and the variables from the two systems.
  • A question is raised regarding how the units of density, area, and pressure relate to obtaining a distance/time unit for velocity.
  • A participant provides the SI unit of pressure as a clarification, breaking down its components.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the correct formulation of the equation, as there are differing views on the handling of the pressure difference and the derived equation's structure. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the correct approach to the problem.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the assumptions made about the flow conditions and the definitions of variables, particularly concerning the treatment of deltaP and the derived equations.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for students or individuals interested in fluid dynamics, particularly those studying Bernoulli's principle and its applications in pipe flow problems.

levi415
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I'm having problems with what seems like a simple Bernoulli exercise where I can plug in all known variables but not get an answer (using Excel).

If I reduce my system down, it would be exactly like a venturi/pipe flow problem except that flow is in the direction of small pipe to large pipe. P1 and A1 are for small pipe, P2 and A2 are for larger pipe.
P1=60psi
A1=.002in^2 (very small orifice)
P2=55psi
A2=.307in^2
density (rho) air at 90F/60psi=.367lb/ft^3
Bernoulli's eqn at continuity gives flow rate Q = A2*[((2*deltaP)/rho)/(1-(A2/A1)^2)]^0.5

When I plug in the numbers as shown, I get a number error in Excel because the 1-(A2/A1)^2 in the denominator ends up negative.

Any ideas where I might have gone wrong? Thanks very much.
 
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Why not just start from the actual Bernoulli equation? You can derive the equation you just cited and determine that your denominator is flipped. It should be
\left(\frac{A_2}{A_1}\right)^2 - 1
 
Thanks, boneh3ad. I actually did derive the above equation from the original where
P1+0.5*rho*v1^2 = P2+0.5*rho*v2^2. Since A1v1 = A2v2, I solved for v2 and substituted back into the original.
I think my error was... as I was ignoring the sign of my deltaP, I was subtracting from the wrong side of the equation, i.e., I should have been subtracting system 1 variables from system 2 variables. Anyway, I came up with an answer for v2 (instead of finding Q). V is what I want anyway.
What confuses me is... where do the time units come into the equation? How do rho, area, and pressure give me a distance/time unit?
 
The SI unit of pressure, the pascal has units
\frac{kg\;m}{s^2\;m^2}
 

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