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Model ID: 234

Diverging Duct

When the diameter of a pipe suddenly increases, the area available for flow increases. Fluid with relatively high velocity will decelerate into a relatively slow moving fluid.

Depending on the Reynolds number, this can cause turbulence and much of the excess in kinetic energy is converted into heat and therefore wasted. If the change of the cross-section is gradual, the kinetic energy can be recovered as pressure energy.

The plot shows the pressure distribution in the duct. Note that the pressure distribution is relative to p=0 at the outlet.

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