 Orifice

An orifice is a localized opening through which a fluid passes, often from a vessel into a region of lower pressure. A simple inviscid incompressible estimate for an opening of area $A$ iswhen the reservoir velocity and elevation change are negligible and $\Delta p$ is the driving pressure difference. The relation follows from a Bernoulli equation estimate of exit speed.

Real jets contract and dissipate energy, so a discharge coefficient $C_d$ is often introduced through $Q=C_d{Q}_{\mathrm{ideal}}$. The vena contracta can have a smaller area than the opening itself. Measuring collected fluid per unit time and the driving head tests the coefficient for a specified geometry and regime. For substantial gas compression or choked flow, the incompressible formula must be replaced by an appropriate compressible-flow model.