Physics
Siphon
Explore a primed siphon with inertia, hydraulic losses and a draining reservoir. Crest pressure explains cavitation, the barometric height limit and why admitting air stops flow.
Try this
Water leaves the upper beaker and accumulates in the receiver. Change the crest, outlet or air pressure, then compare the flow and crest pressure. Admitting air stops the water column. The flow model is one-dimensional.
Equations used in the module
Equations L u′ = g(h − zout) − (1+K)u|u|/2 L = 2 zcrest − zin − zout + (π−2)Rbend pcrest = patm − ρg(zcrest − h) − ρu²(1+Kup)/2 Areservoir h′ = −Apipe u; hreceiver = Vtransferred/Areceiver Prime fails if pcrest ≤ pvapour
