Pipe Systems and Fluid Mechanics Flashcards
7 cards from real PIPEFITTER practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Pipe Systems and Fluid Mechanics flashcards as text
In a piping system, cavitation is most likely to occur at which location?
Answer: At the pump suction where pressure drops below vapor pressure
Cavitation occurs at the pump suction side when local pressure falls below the fluid's vapor pressure, causing vapor bubbles to form and collapse.
What does the term 'hydraulic gradient' describe in a piping system?
Answer: The rate of pressure drop per unit length of pipe
The hydraulic gradient represents the rate of pressure head loss per unit length along a pipe, indicating how pressure decreases due to friction.
When two pipes of different diameters are joined in series, which parameter remains constant throughout?
Answer: Volumetric flow rate
By the continuity equation, volumetric flow rate (Q = A × V) remains constant in series piping, though velocity changes with cross-sectional area.
A pipe system experiences water hammer. Which device is BEST suited to protect against this condition?
Answer: A surge suppressor or accumulator
Surge suppressors and accumulators absorb the sudden pressure spike of water hammer by providing a compressible cushion in the system.
In fluid mechanics, what is the significance of a Reynolds number greater than 4000?
Answer: Flow is fully turbulent
A Reynolds number above 4000 indicates fully turbulent flow, where fluid moves in irregular, chaotic eddies rather than smooth layers.
What is the primary purpose of an expansion loop in a steam piping system?
Answer: To allow thermal expansion and contraction without stressing pipe joints
Expansion loops provide flexibility to absorb the dimensional changes caused by thermal expansion and contraction, protecting joints and supports from stress.
According to Bernoulli's principle, if fluid velocity increases in a pipe constriction, what happens to static pressure?
Answer: Static pressure decreases
Bernoulli's principle states that increased fluid velocity results in decreased static pressure, as kinetic energy increases at the expense of pressure energy.