EASA Gas Turbine Engine Test Prep 2026 – Complete Practice Exam

In subsonic flow, a decreasing cross-sectional area causes the fluid to speed up to conserve mass flow. In a convergent nozzle, the air encounters smaller areas as it moves forward, so its velocity increases while its pressure drops. This conversion of pressure energy into kinetic energy accelerates the flow, reaching a maximum at the throat where the flow would become sonic. Beyond the throat, a purely convergent nozzle can’t continue to accelerate subsonic flow, so further acceleration requires a diverging section. So, the velocity typically increases in a convergent nozzle.