Euler Number (physics)

The Euler number is a dimensionless number used in fluid flow calculations. It expresses the relationship between a local pressure drop e.g. over a restriction and the kinetic energy per volume, and is used to characterize losses in the flow, where a perfect frictionless flow corresponds to an Euler number of 1.

It is defined as


\mathrm{Eu}=\frac{p(\mathrm{upstream})-p(\mathrm{downstream})}{\rho V^2}

where

  • is the density of the fluid.
  • is the upstream pressure.
  • is the downstream pressure.
  • is a characteristic velocity of the flow.

The cavitation number has a similar structure, but a different meaning and use:

The Cavitation number is a dimensionless number used in flow calculations. It expresses the relationship between the difference of a local absolute pressure from the vapor pressure and the kinetic energy per volume, and is used to characterize the potential of the flow to cavitate.

It is defined as


\mathrm{Ca}=\frac{p-p_v}{\frac{1}{2}\rho V^2}

where

  • is the density of the fluid.
  • is the local pressure.
  • is the vapor pressure of the fluid.
  • is a characteristic velocity of the flow.

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