HW 1.2 Reflection

In regards to the homework solutions for 1.2, I learned the proper equation to calculate the stiffness of a linear actuator system. In class, I learned that the pressure at the port of a jet MUST be the same as the atmospheric pressure. This was interesting to me as it made me realize why water doesn’t disperse everywhere as it exits an opening. Instead, the pressures being equal allows the fluid from a jet to shoot straight. Another thing I learned from class was laminar vs turbulent flow and how it relates to Reynolds number. Laminar flow usually occurs at low Reynolds numbers whereas turbulent flow usually occurs at high Reynolds numbers. Lastly, in going over problems in class, it became apparent that pressure increases going down and decreases going up. These signs are important when computing pressure in a manometer.

HW 1.3 Reflection

I have learned how to apply Bernoulli’s equation in various ways through the problems we discussed in class. One of the techniques we learned was to have a reference point on the diagram. I also learned how to use the equation to determine the height of a figure, calculate the volume flow rate and pressure using specific gravity or specific heat,and find the energy loss of a pipe. For energy loss, I learned how to find the relative roughness value based ona chart, which won’t be used, but I also learned how to use the equation for relative roughness. Lastly, I learned how touse Bernoulli’s equation when a pipe has an efficiency, which was not a problem discussed in class.