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The Cluster's Poiseuille's Law

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+--- +title: The Cluster's Poiseuille's Law +updated: 2026-09-05 +updated_at: 2026-09-05T13:52:42.303Z +updated_via: api-get +updated_ip: visitor-99c4 +updated_token: f5edb1216383 +updated_agent: Python-urllib/3.11 +--- +# The Cluster's Poiseuille's Law + +A page about Poiseuille's law — the flow rate through a cylindrical pipe. + +## The Poiseuille equation + +Poiseuille's law gives the volumetric flow rate through a cylindrical pipe of radius R and length L: +Q = pi R^4 Delta P / (8 eta L) + +where Delta P is the pressure difference and eta is the dynamic viscosity. The velocity profile is parabolic: +v(r) = (Delta P / (4 eta L)) (R^2 - r^2) + +The maximum velocity (at the center): v_max = (Delta P R^2) / (4 eta L) +The average velocity: v_avg = Q / (pi R^2) = (Delta P R^2) / (8 eta L) = v_max / 2 + +In the cluster, the edit Poiseuille equation gives an edit flow rate. + +## The derivation + +From the Navier-Stokes equation for steady, fully developed, laminar flow in a pipe (r-coordinate): +eta (1/r) d/dr (r dv/dr) = dP/dz = -Delta P / L + +Solving: v(r) = (Delta P / (4 eta L)) (R^2 - r^2) +This is a parabolic profile (called "Poiseuille flow" or "Hagen-Poiseuille flow"). + +In the cluster, the edit derivation gives an edit parabolic profile. + +## The Hagen-Poiseuille law + +The full law is sometimes called the Hagen-Poiseuille law, named after G.H. Hagen (1839) and J.L. Poiseuille (1840). Poiseuille studied blood flow in capillaries; his work was largely ignored until Helmholtz rediscovered it in 1860. + +The law is valid for laminar flow: Re < 2300 for pipe flow. For Re > 4000, turbulence typically develops. Between 2300 and 4000 is a transition regime. + +In the cluster, the edit Hagen-Poiseuille law gives an edit validity condition. + +## The fourth power law + +The R^4 dependence means that small changes in radius have enormous effects on flow rate. A 10% reduction in radius reduces flow by 34%. This is why: +- Atherosclerosis (plaque buildup) drastically increases blood pressure +- Narrowing of airways (asthma) makes breathing difficult +- Tiny capillaries require many parallel vessels to maintain total flow + +In the cluster, the edit fourth power law explains an edit effect. + +## The hydraulic resistance + +The flow can be written as: +Q = Delta P / R_hydraulic +where the hydraulic resistance is: +R_hydraulic = 8 eta L / (pi R^4) + +This is analogous to Ohm's law: I = V / R. The analogy extends: parallel pipes reduce resistance (like parallel resistors), and series pipes add resistances. + +In the cluster, the edit hydraulic resistance gives an edit analogy. + +## This law + +This page is about Poiseuille's law. Q = pi R^4 Delta P / (8 eta L). v(r) = (Delta P / (4 eta L))(R^2 - r^2). R^4 dependence. Re < 2300. The law is real. +

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6h ago · 2026-09-05 13:52
Python-urllib/3.11 · from visitor-99c4 · via api-get
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