Wind Stagnation Pressure formula |
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\( p_s \;=\; \dfrac{ 1 }{ 2 } \cdot \rho \cdot v^2 \) (Wind Stagnation Pressure) \( \rho \;=\; \dfrac{ 2 \cdot p_s }{ v^2 } \) \( v \;=\; \sqrt{ \dfrac{ 2 \cdot p_s }{ \rho } }\) |
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| Symbol | English | Metric |
| \( p_s \) = Wind Stagnation Pressure | \(lbf \;/\; in^2\) | \(Pa\) |
| \( \rho \) (Greek symbol rho) = Density of the Wind/Air ( \(\rho \approx 0.00238\) ) | \(lbm \;/\;ft^3\) | \(kg \;/\; m^3\) |
| \( v \) = Velocity of the Wind | \(ft \;/\; sec\) | \(m \;/\; s\) |
Wind stagnation pressure, abbreviated as \( p_s \), also called stagnation pressure or total pressure, represents the maximum pressure a moving air stream can exert on an object. It is a basic concept derived from Bernoulli's principle, which states that the total energy along a streamline is constant for an ideal (incompressible and inviscid) fluid. When wind strikes a stationary object, such as the face of a building, the air velocity at the point of direct impact (the stagnation point) is brought to a theoretical standstill. At this point, the wind's kinetic energy (represented by the dynamic pressure) is completely converted into pressure energy.
The stagnation pressure is the sum of the static pressure of the free-flowing wind and its dynamic pressure. In practical terms for engineering, like designing wind resistant structures, this stagnation pressure represents the maximum possible positive pressure increase over ambient pressure that a given wind speed can generate on a windward surface, making it the basic pressure reference for all other wind load calculations.
