airflows
Streams of wind
Airflows is the plural of airflow—the movement of air through or around a space.
Engineers study airflows in ventilation systems, aerodynamics, and climate control.
Multiple airflows may interact: The building's design created competing airflows that made temperature regulation difficult.
The word appears in technical contexts where distinct currents or patterns of moving air need to be distinguished.
Makes more efficient
- turbulenceChaotic flow patterns
- laminarArranged in thin layers
- dragResistance through fluid
- liftMechanism for vertical transport
wind tunnel · boundary layer · vortices · wake · pressure gradient · fluid dynamics · separation · eddies
Enclosed passage tubes
- ventsOpenings for airflow
- HVACIndoor climate management
- circulationMovement through a system
- exhaustUse up entirely
intake · diffusers · registers · return · supply · grilles · dampers · plenums
Recurring atmospheric flow directions
- convectionHeat transfer via motion
- thermalsWarm air columns
- jet streamHigh-altitude wind current
- trade windsReliable equatorial air currents
pressure systems · updrafts · downdrafts · sea breeze · land breeze · monsoon · wind shear · fronts
Losing thermal energy
- fansArdent admirers or coolers
- heat dissipationTransfer of warmth outward
- positive pressureForce exceeding surrounding atmosphere
- negative pressurePressure below ambient levels
exhaust fans · dust filters · cable management · heat sinks · CFM · mesh panels
Related to breathing organs
- inhalationTaking breath in
- exhalationBreathing out air
- nasalOf the nose
- tracheaRespiratory airway tube
bronchial · lung capacity · spirometry · airways · breath · pulmonary · respiration · ventilator
streamlines
Makes more efficient
- turbulenceChaotic flow patterns
- laminarArranged in thin layers
- dragResistance through fluid
lift · wind tunnel · boundary layer · vortices · wake · pressure gradient · fluid dynamics · separation · eddies · streamlining
ducts
Enclosed passage tubes
- ventsOpenings for airflow
- HVACIndoor climate management
- circulationMovement through a system
exhaust · intake · diffusers · registers · return · supply · grilles · dampers · plenums · extraction
wind patterns
Recurring atmospheric flow directions
- convectionHeat transfer via motion
- thermalsWarm air columns
- jet streamHigh-altitude wind current
trade winds · pressure systems · updrafts · downdrafts · sea breeze · land breeze · monsoon · wind shear · fronts · katabatic
cooling
Losing thermal energy
- fansArdent admirers or coolers
- heat dissipationTransfer of warmth outward
- positive pressureForce exceeding surrounding atmosphere
negative pressure · exhaust fans · dust filters · cable management · heat sinks · CFM · mesh panels
respiratory
Related to breathing organs
- inhalationTaking breath in
- exhalationBreathing out air
- nasalOf the nose
trachea · bronchial · lung capacity · spirometry · airways · breath · pulmonary · respiration · ventilator · CPAP
airflowsstagnant air
Atmosphere lacking movement
still air · stagnation · dead air · stillness · calm
airflowsobstructions
Things that block passage
blockages · restrictions · occlusions · dead zones · impediments