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Bernoulli’s equation applies to pressure and velocity changes around flat plates.

The Claim

Bernoulli's principle applies only to curved surfaces and cannot be applied to flat plate rudders.

Verified by Lenz ·

The Short Version

Surface curvature is not a requirement for applying Bernoulli’s principle. Fluid-mechanics sources apply Bernoulli’s equation to flat-plate flow and explain lift through pressure differences associated with the velocity field. A caveat about one curvature-based lift explanation near a sharp leading edge does not make Bernoulli’s equation inapplicable to flat-plate rudders.

Caveats

  • Do not confuse Bernoulli’s general pressure–velocity relationship with a particular curvature-based explanation of lift.
  • The evidence includes a direct Bernoulli application to a flat plate, but not a detailed calculation for a flat-plate rudder specifically.
  • Some cited links are duplicate versions of the same underlying sources.

The Receipts

  1. Sailing Performance of Wind-Powered Cargo Vessel in Unsteady Conditions

    doi.org

  2. Evolutionary understanding of airfoil lift - Springer Nature

    link.springer.com

  3. Incorrect Lift Theory

    grc.nasa.gov

  4. Evolutionary understanding of airfoil lift

    doi.org

  5. This work is downloaded from Delft University of Technology.

    pure.tudelft.nl

  6. Numerical and Experimental Study on Aerodynamic Characteristics of Basic Airfoils at Low Reynolds Numbers*

    jstage.jst.go.jp

  7. Bernoulli and Newton

    grc.nasa.gov

  8. Delft University of Technology

    repository.tudelft.nl

  9. Measurement of pressure distributions on a flat plate airfoil in low Reynolds number region

    cst.nihon-u.ac.jp

  10. The Boundary Layer over a Flat Plate

    essay.utwente.nl

+ 3 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

Bernoulli's Principle

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