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Mechanical Engineering vocabulary · Fluid Mechanics, Pumps and Valves

Pressure drop

Meaning in mechanical engineering, with examples

nounCommon term

In mechanical engineering, pressure drop means: The loss of pressure as a fluid flows through a pipe, filter, valve or other component, caused by friction and by changes in direction or cross-section.

In Turkish: basınç kaybı, basınç düşümü

How it is used

Used in pump and fan selection, pipe and duct design and filter maintenance. Engineers calculate the pressure drop of a system to size pumps and fans; a rising pressure drop across a filter shows that it is getting clogged.

Example sentences

  1. The pressure drop across the filter has reached 250 Pa, so it's time to replace it.

  2. A larger pipe diameter will reduce the pressure drop and the pump energy.

Common collocations

  • pressure drop across
  • calculate the pressure drop
  • high pressure drop
  • pressure loss
  • differential pressure
  • pressureThe force with which a liquid or gas pushes on each unit of area. It is measured in pascals, bar or psi.
  • flow rateThe amount of fluid that passes a point in a given time, given as a volume (for example m³/h or L/min) or as a mass (kg/s).
  • pumpA machine that moves liquid through pipes by adding energy to it, raising its pressure or lifting it to a higher level.
  • ductworkThe system of metal or plastic ducts that carries air from fans and air handling units to rooms and back, including bends, branches, dampers and grilles.
  • turbulent flowFluid flow in which the particles move in irregular, mixing paths. It happens at higher speeds and is the opposite of smooth, layered laminar flow.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Fluid Mechanics, Pumps and Valves

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