US Patent 8688414 Identification of fluid flow bottlenecks

Techniques for determining one or more fluid flow characteristic values of a structure are disclosed. A fluid flow vector and a pressure gradient vector for a portion of the structure are determined, and a dot/cross product of the fluid flow vector with the pressure gradient vector is obtained to provide a fluid flow characteristic value. The fluid flow characteristic value can be used for modifying the structure to improve fluid flow through the structure.