Super-Fine Structure in the Critical Flow-Rate of Critical Flow Venturi Nozzles

It is shown that critical flow Venturi nozzles need time intervals, i.e., more than five hours, to achieve steady state conditions. During these intervals, the discharge coefficient varies gradually to reach a value inherent to the pressure ratio applied. When a nozzle is suddenly put in the critical condition, its discharge coefficient is trapped at a certain value then afterwards approaches gradually to the inherent value. Primary calibrations are considered to have measured the trapped discharge coefficient, whereas nozzles in applications, where a constant pressure ratio is applied for a long time, have a discharge coefficient inherent to the pressure ratio; inherent and trapped coefficients can differ by 0.03–0.04%.