1 FLUIDS IN THE NEWS

2 This water jet is a blast Usually liquids can be treated as

3 incompressible fluids. However, in some applications the
4 compressibility of a liquid can play a key role in the operation of a
5 device. For example, a water pulse generator using compressed
6 water has been developed for use in mining operations. It can
7 fracture rock by producing an effect comparable to a
8 conventional explosive such as gunpowder. The device uses the
9 energy stored in a water-filled accumulator to generate an
10 ultrahigh-pressure water pulse ejected through a 10- to 25-
11 mm-diameter discharge valve. At the ultrahigh pressures used
12 (300 to 400 MPa, or 3000 to 4000 atmospheres), the water is
13 compressed (i.e., the volume reduced) by about 10 to 15%.
14 When a fast-opening valve within the pressure vessel is opened,
15 the water expands and produces a jet of water that upon impact
16 with the target material produces an effect similar to the
17 explosive force from conventional explosives.
18 Mining with the water jet can eliminate various hazards that
19 arise with the use of conventional chemical explosives, such as
20 those associated with the storage and use of explosives and the
21 generation of toxic gas by-products that require extensive
22 ventilation.

Source:
Munson, B.; Young, D.; Okiishi, T. and Huebsch, W. (2009). Fundamentals of
Fluid Mechanics Sixth Edition. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Inc. (p. 20)
https://b-ok.lat/book/1179978/78d52e