blowdown

Meanings

1. The removal of liquid and solid hydrocarbons from a refinery vessel by the use of pressure.
2. Cooling fluid discharged from a plant at the end of its cycle.
3. Uprooting, overtopping, or bole breakage of trees by the wind; windthrow and windsnap.
4. The action of aerodynamic forces to tend to cause a deflected control surface to return to its neutral position, or prevent the surface from deflecting past a certain point.
5. An instance of blowing down with compressed air.

Etymology

Deverbal from blow down.