eli5 how does the tubercles protect the peregrine falcon from the intense air pressure when diving at such high speeds when they’re just a small, pointy bone ?

Question

eli5 how does the tubercles protect the peregrine falcon from the intense air pressure when diving at such high speeds when they’re just a small, pointy bone ?

In: 1

Answer 1

‘Protect from pressure’ is not the issue. The problem with high speed is that lungs rely on outside air being ‘normal,’ and the suction/vacuum force of inhaling pulls air in. Cool. At high speed the air goes past the nostril sooo fast that it takes tons more inhalation effort to pull any air out of the stream. (Fluid Dynamics is the name of the Science.)

The tubercule disrupts/disturbs the fast air slightly, which slows some air down a little, which allows it to mix with the lower pressure air inside the nostril, which allows the lung suction to have effect. I knew about some of this by way of model airplanes, but the nostril trick was a detail I didn’t know. This page explains it, and how the idea was adapted to jet engines. https://curioussengi.wordpress.com/2016/08/27/nose-dive-falcons-gannets/