Discharge Coefficient
Definition - What does Discharge Coefficient mean?
Discharge Coefficient is the ratio of actual discharge through a nozzle or orifice to the theoretical discharge. Commonly known as coefficient of discharge, it is related to the flow and pressure loss through nozzles and the orifices in the fluid systems or fluid mechanics. It is denoted by “Cd” and is a dimensionless number.
In fluid mechanics, coefficient of discharge is the ratio of mass flow rate at the nozzle’s discharge end to that of the ideal nozzle working in ideal flow conditions.
Petropedia explains Discharge Coefficient
Mathematically, coefficient of discharge is expressed as:
Where,
Cd = coefficient of discharge
A = cross sectional area of orifice or nozzle from where fluid is flowing
M = mass flow rate (dm/dt)
p = density of fluid (dm/dV) where V is the volume
delta P = drop in the pressure across the two ends of the orifice
With the help of coefficient of discharge, one can estimate the resistance to the flow of fluid in a confined space (in a pipeline, or in an orifice) through the following equation:
K = 1 / square of coefficient of discharge
Where k is resistance to the flow.
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