Coandă effect

physics

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 24, 2026

Quick Summary

The Coandă effect is the tendency of a fluid jet to follow a nearby curved surface. This occurs because the jet entrains surrounding fluid, creating a lower-pressure region between the jet and the surface, which pulls the jet towards it. Romanian scientist Henri Coandă described this phenomenon in the 1930s, and it is a key principle in fluidics, a technology that uses fluid flow to operate control systems. Fluidics can be used in various applications, offering advantages over mechanical and electrical systems, especially in hazardous environments.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

fluidics
…is now known as the Coandă effect, a major contribution to fluidic technology. He observed that as a free jet emerges from a jet nozzle the stream will tend to follow a nearby curved or inclined surface. It also “attaches” itself to and flows along this surface if the curvature…
Read More
…is now known as the Coandă effect, a major contribution to fluidic technology. He observed that as a free jet emerges from a jet nozzle the stream will tend to follow a nearby curved or inclined surface. It also “attaches” itself to and flows along this surface if the curvature…
Read More