The Weber number is a dimensionless number in fluid mechanics that is often useful in analysing fluid flows where there is an interface between two different fluids, especially for multiphase flows with strongly curved surfaces. It can be thought of as a measure of the relative importance of the fluid's inertia compared to its surface tension. The quantity is useful in analyzing thin film flows and the formation of droplets and bubbles.
It is named after Moritz Weber (1871–1951) and may be written as:
where
- is the density of the fluid (kg/m3).
- is its velocity (m/s).
- is its characteristic length, typically the droplet diameter (m).
- is the surface tension (N/m).
The modified Weber number,
equals the ratio of the kinetic energy on impact to the surface energy,
- ,
where
and
- .
Read more about Weber Number: Applications
Famous quotes containing the words weber and/or number:
“One can say that three pre-eminent qualities are decisive for the politician: passion, a feeling of responsibility, and a sense of proportion.”
—Max Weber (1864–1920)
“In many ways, life becomes simpler [for young adults]. . . . We are expected to solve only a finite number of problems within a limited range of possible solutions. . . . It’s a mental vacation compared with figuring out who we are, what we believe, what we’re going to do with our talents, how we’re going to solve the social problems of the globe . . .and what the perfect way to raise our children will be.”
—Roger Gould (20th century)