Friday 29 May 2020

Coanda Effect in the washing up

I was washing up the demijohn after racking off the rhubarb wine when I noticed that the jet from the tap was sticking to the inner wall of the glass. It seemed strange to see it divert from falling straight to divert outwards. It turned out to be a useful way to clean off the yeast residue at the top. It looked like the Coanda Effect, although being no expert, another potential explanation that occurred to me could include surface tension. Coanda Effect seems to be about the flowing liquid pulling a layer of air along with it. This creates low pressure which encourages more air to flow in at 90 degrees to the flow of the liquid. Normally the same thing happens on both sides of the liquid so there is zero resultant force and the liquid falls straight. But if the liquid runs along a surface on one side, there is only the air on the other side pushing on it which knocks the flow out of line.