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Questions tagged [airflow]

216 questions
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Why not put servers in a refrigerator?

Recently I was thinking about home improvement, and one idea that is haunting me is that I could use some kind of refrigerator for gaming consoles and laptops. The obvious benefit is that it maintains a constant low temperature. Also, the doors…
The Dreams Wind
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Foiling vortex traps around buildings

I have had three houses with right angles in the layout, and in each one that configuration causes vortices to form that suck in leaves, snow, and any debris blowing by and keep it in the nook of the building. Rough idea in the following sketch,…
feetwet
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How are wind tunnel models used when designing supersonic aircraft?

There are two things involved: wave drag and boundary layer separation. The wave drag depends on the Mach number while the latter depends on the Reynolds number of the flow. It's easy to maintain the incoming Mach number as it is independent of the…
Subodh
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How would adding a wind deflector in front of roof-mounted solar panels affect drag on an RV?

I am mounting solar panels on top of a recreational vehicle (RV). To reduce drag, I was planning on building a small ramp in front of the panels to deflect wind before it hits the flat panel and mounts. Here is a rough sketch (red is brackets, black…
Cade
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Could house fires be prevented by increasing dryer vent speed?

In the US, clothes dryers are one of the leading causes of house fires: In 1998, CPSC estimates that there were approximately 15,600 clothes dryer fires resulting in 20 deaths, 370 injuries and $75.4 million in property damage. Or more recent…
hazzey
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Is it possible to replicate a Tesla valve in large scale?

Supposedly a Tesla valve will impede fluid or air flow in one direction whilst allowing flow to move freely through the valve entering from the opposite direction, without using any moving parts. Also the alleged effectiveness of the valve is based…
James
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How metal fittings seal connection without rubber gaskets?

I am well familiar with the concept of gasket. From my non-mechanical engineer perspective, I can understand how a standard rubber gasket works in various plumbing and automotive applications (such as O rings etc). However, working on both auto…
amphibient
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Is there a more active passive technique for removing humidity from the air besides salt blocks?

We can get really humid days sometimes. Recently I was digging around in boxes and found some old mineral specimens, and I set out a few of the salt crystal rocks. I soon found that they had pools of water accumulating underneath them, which…
New Alexandria
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efficiency and flow separation

I am studying about wind turbine and turbine. I have some questions, but first, I explain some cases as follow: Low velocity air over an airfoil at a zero-incidence angle does not initiate flow separation. If the air velocity slowly increases, the…
user19061
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How do I calculate the max flow rate for a pump with no power restrictions?

Let's assume we have a pump and it can draw as much power as it needs. As the pump speeds up, it creates vacuum in the intake. At some point it draws the gas/liquid so fast, the intake pressure is so close to 0. At that point, no matter how much…
Cathier
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O-Ring vs flat washer for air seal

I'm interested in whether a flat rubber washer or equivalent is good enough to replace an o-ring in a low pressure application (edit: I meant low pressure differential. My bad.). The reason is that flat washers might be easier to design for if you…
carveone
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How do gas flow regulators avoid choking?

According to compressible flow theory, a downstream pressure of 0.528 times upstream pressure is sufficient to choke a flow device. So, how do industrial grade pressure regulators throttle a wide range of pressures (say 150 bar to 20 bar)?
DBTKNL
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How do I choose a blower design for an induced draft brick kiln?

I am responsible for a brick kiln in the Punjab province of Pakistan. My government requires all brick kilns to be upgraded to match recent new standards, which include the addition of a blower near the chimney. We consulted with local engineers who…
asim
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How to minimize heat loss in an air extractor?

In an air-conditioned house equipped with an air extractor that removes for instance wet, smelly, etc. air from the bathrooms and kitchen, what are sensible cost-effective systems to prevent: Heat loss during the winter by bringing in cold air and…
Miguel
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How can I increase the CFM of my ceiling fan?

Since I am unable to change the pitch of the blades on my ceiling fan, I am considering buying a larger one. The current one is certainly efficient enough as that is why I bought it in the first place (CFM/watt); however, I need more airflow. …
Imaginativelywild
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