velocity is the speed of the flow (for example, meters/sec.)
Flow rate is the volume per unit time (example: liters/sec.)
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Flow rate is the volume of fluid passing through a section of the tube per unit time, usually measured in volume per unit time (e.g. cubic meters per second). Flow velocity is the speed at which the fluid is moving through the tube, usually measured in distance per unit time (e.g. meters per second). While flow rate depends on the cross-sectional area of the tube, flow velocity is independent of the tube's size.
A pitot tube uses Bernoulli's equation to measure fluid flow velocity by comparing the pressure difference between the stagnation point and the dynamic pressure of the fluid. This difference in pressure is used to calculate the velocity of the fluid flowing past the pitot tube.
Uniform flow occurs when the fluid velocity and properties are constant throughout the flow field, while non-uniform flow has varying velocity and properties across the flow field. In uniform flow, streamlines are parallel and the flow is steady, whereas in non-uniform flow, streamlines may converge or diverge and the flow can be unsteady.
Fluid flow is typically faster near the center of pipes and tubes due to lower frictional losses compared to the edges. The no-slip condition at the walls of the pipe causes the fluid velocity to be slower at the edges due to viscous drag, resulting in a velocity gradient across the pipe cross-section. This varying velocity profile is known as a parabolic flow profile.
Flow velocity and area are inversely related in a fluid system. When the area decreases, the flow velocity increases, and vice versa, according to the principle of continuity, which states that the product of cross-sectional area and flow velocity remains constant in an enclosed system with steady flow.
A diffuser is a device that reduces the velocity of a fluid and increases its pressure, often by expanding the flow area. A nozzle, on the other hand, is a device that accelerates the flow of a fluid by constricting the flow area, which increases its velocity. In simpler terms, a diffuser slows down fluid flow while a nozzle speeds it up.