Total Pressure

The Total Pressure (also called stagnation pressure or ram pressure) is the force per unit area that is felt when a flowing fluid is brought to rest and is usually measured with a pitot tube type instrument. The Total Pressure is the sum of the Static Pressure and the Dynamic Pressure. Total pressure is often referred to as the Stagnation Pressure.

Obviously total pressure is the maximum pressure experienced by the fluid. It is the pressure experienced by the fluid when it is brought to rest. It is as if the kinetic energy of the flowing fluid is converted into pressure as a consequence of the fluid being brought to rest.