Design Example: Flow Through a Fire Extinguisher

A fire extinguisher that uses pressurized water relies on fluid dynamics principles to generate a high-velocity stream capable of suppressing flames. The water is stored at a much higher pressure inside the extinguisher than the surrounding atmosphere. This pressure difference forces the water to flow rapidly when the extinguisher is activated, ...

A fire extinguisher uses pressurized water to generate a powerful stream through a nozzle.

The water inside is stored at a much higher pressure than the surrounding atmosphere, forcing the water to flow when the extinguisher is activated.

Fluid dynamics equations are applied to determine how fast the water exits the nozzle and how ...