laminar flow

noun

, Hydraulics, Mechanics.

1. the flow of a viscous fluid in which particles of the fluid move in parallel layers, each of which has a constant velocity but is in motion relative to its neighboring layers.

laminar flow

noun

1. nonturbulent motion of a fluid in which parallel layers have different velocities relative to each other Compare turbulent flow See also streamline flow

laminar flow

/ lăm′ə-nər /

1. Smooth, orderly movement of a fluid, in which there is no turbulence, and any given subcurrent moves more or less in parallel with any other nearby subcurrent. Laminar flow is common in viscous fluids, especially those moving at low velocities.
2. Compare turbulent flow

Word History and Origins

Origin of laminar flow¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

"The original Murray's Law was formulated by minimising the energy consumption to maintain the laminar flow in blood vessels, but it was unsuited for synthetic materials," says Binghan Zhou.

From Science Daily

It turns out that a soccer ball’s drag coefficient is approximately 2.5 times larger for laminar flow than for turbulent flow.

From Scientific American

“If there was a way to figure out the wind — man, you guys are going to eat this one up, but the laminar flow of the wind and how it works,” DeChambeau said.

From Seattle Times

At hypersonic speeds, the boundary layer around the vehicle thickens, and a smooth, laminar flow can suddenly break up into eddies and swirls that cause temperature spikes on the vehicle’s skin.

From Science Magazine

Shumate loves the new “laminar flow” faucets, which reduces splash and spatter in the shallower vessel sinks.

From Seattle Times