General Medical Information

Laminar Flow

Thomas V. Mccaffrey

The simplest type of airflow is laminar flow. Laminar flow occurs when there is no gross mixing in the airstream from one region to another. In this type of flow, the air molecules follow streamlines, each layer or lamina sliding smoothly past adjacent regions. The resistance to laminar flow depends only on the dimensions of the conduit and the viscosity of the fluid.