Area 11
Fluid networks
Pressure, flow and the pipes that bring water where it is needed
Fluid networks move water and other liquids through pipes, pumps, valves and tanks. Engineers design them so that every tap, field or machine gets enough flow at the right pressure.
Who it suits
Children who like building with pipes and taps, and learners interested in farming, homes and water supply.
What you will learn
- What pressure is, and why water flows from high to low pressure
- How the length, width and bends of a pipe resist the flow
- How tanks, pumps and valves store, push and control water
- How to plan a simple water supply for several users
Example experiments
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Raise a water tank and see how the pressure at the taps below changes.
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Compare the flow through a narrow pipe and a wide pipe.
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Open and close valves to share water between two gardens.
Things you can build
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A water supply for a small school
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A gravity-fed irrigation system for a garden
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A tank that stops filling when it is full
These examples show the kind of work in this area. The published lessons may differ.
What the simulation simplifies
- Flow is calculated for networks of pipes with simplified rules, not with a full fluid-dynamics (CFD) simulation.
- Water is idealised: leaks, air bubbles and the wear of real pipes are left out.
Every simulation simplifies reality. Knowing how it does so is part of learning engineering.
Links to school subjects
Physics (pressure), mathematics (rates and measurement), geography (water supply), agriculture
Connections to other areas
Fluid networks connect with mechanics (pressure and force), with control systems (keeping a level) and with automation (pumps that switch on and off).
Good to know
Water towers stand high so that gravity alone creates the pressure that pushes water through a town’s pipes.