<P> Nozzles can be described as convergent (narrowing down from a wide diameter to a smaller diameter in the direction of the flow) or divergent (expanding from a smaller diameter to a larger one). A de Laval nozzle has a convergent section followed by a divergent section and is often called a convergent - divergent nozzle ("con - di nozzle"). </P> <P> Convergent nozzles accelerate subsonic fluids . If the nozzle pressure ratio is high enough, then the flow will reach sonic velocity at the narrowest point (i.e. the nozzle throat). In this situation, the nozzle is said to be choked . </P> <P> Increasing the nozzle pressure ratio further will not increase the throat Mach number above one . Downstream (i.e. external to the nozzle) the flow is free to expand to supersonic velocities; however Mach 1 can be a very high speed for a hot gas because the speed of sound varies as the square root of absolute temperature . This fact is used extensively in rocketry where hypersonic flows are required and where propellant mixtures are deliberately chosen to further increase the sonic speed . </P> <P> Divergent nozzles slow fluids if the flow is subsonic, but they accelerate sonic or supersonic fluids . </P>

Different types of flows in a steam nozzle