Numerical study on flow separation in 90° pipe bend under high Reynolds number by k-ε modelling

Curved pipes are very often used in hydraulic systems facilitating compact, lightweight designs. But they can also be the cause of complex secondary flows as the curvature brings change of velocity profile, generation of vortices and production of hydraulic losses. In the present study, turbulent single phase flows through circular 90 ̊ curved bend for different curvature ratio (Rc/D = 1 to 5), defined as the bend mean curvature radius (Rc) to pipe diameter (D) is investigated numerically for different Reynolds number (Re) ranging from 1×105 to 10×105. The purpose of this study is to simulate numerically the flow pattern and characterize the swirling secondary flow in 90 ̊ bends. Flow simulation using CFD techniques are performed to understand these phenomena. The k − ε model with SIMPLE method is used for present study. After validation of present model with published experimental data, a detail study has been performed to characterize the flow separation and the dependency of swirl intensity on Reynolds number and curvature ratio in 90 ̊ pipe bend for single phase turbulent flow.

Effect of Reynolds Number and Curvature Ratio on Single Phase Turbulent Flow in Pipe Bends

In the present research, the effects of four 90-degree horizontal elbows with different curvature radii (17, 34, 51, and 68 cm) and an identical rectangular cross-section (20 * 34 mm) on a gas–liquid slug flow pattern have been studied experimentally and numerically. Gas and liquid superficial velocities in numerical and experimental parts were set in 2.5 m/s and 0.44 m/s, respectively. In the computational fluid dynamics section, the distribution of volume fraction, velocity, pressure, turbulence intensity, and swirling intensity parameters were investigated using the VoF model and the SST k-ω method. Experimental studies were conducted utilizing pressure data and signal processing tools to study the dominant frequency of slug flow alongside bandwidth distribution as well as the Shannon entropy. The results exhibited that although the dominant frequency of slug flow did not change after passing the 90-degree elbow, the frequency signal's bandwidth increased. In this regard, the application of Shannon entropy quantity revealed that the frequency distribution signal experienced a greater increase in bandwidth as the elbows’ curvature radius increases. The turbulent intensity of the elbows’ outlet reveals that by increasing the curvature radius, the flow field behaves smoother. Also, swirling intensity distribution shows that decreasing the elbow radius leads to increment in the swirling intensity.

Numerical and experimental simulation of gas-liquid two-phase flow in 90-degree elbow

Measurement of flow rate using straight pipes and pipe bends with integrated piezoelectric sensors

Computational models are useful for understanding respiratory physiology. Crucial to such models are the boundary conditions specifying the flow conditions at truncated airway branches (terminal flow rates). However, most studies make assumptions about these values, which are difficult to obtain in vivo. We developed a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of airflows for steady expiration to investigate how terminal flows affect airflow patterns in respiratory airways. First, we measured in vitro airflow patterns in a physical airway model, using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The measured and computed airflow patterns agreed well, validating our CFD model. Next, we used the lobar flow fractions from a healthy or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) subject as constraints to derive different terminal flow rates (i.e., three healthy and one COPD) and computed the corresponding airflow patterns in the same geometry. To assess airflow sensitivity to the boundary conditions, we used the correlation coefficient of the shape similarity (R) and the root-mean-square of the velocity magnitude difference (Drms) between two velocity contours. Airflow patterns in the central airways were similar across healthy conditions (minimum R, 0.80) despite variations in terminal flow rates but markedly different for COPD (minimum R, 0.26; maximum Drms, ten times that of healthy cases). In contrast, those in the upper airway were similar for all cases. Our findings quantify how variability in terminal and lobar flows contributes to airflow patterns in respiratory airways. They highlight the importance of using lobar flow fractions to examine physiologically relevant airflow characteristics.

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Assessing Airflow Sensitivity to Healthy and Diseased Lung Conditions in a Computational Fluid Dynamics Model Validated In Vitro

The purpose of this study is to characterize the swirling secondary flow in the downstream of a pipe bend using a numerical simulation of the flow. The CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software OpenFOAM is used to simulate the turbulent flow in pipes with elbow. Various turbulence models are benchmarked with the existing experimental data and a comparative study is performed to select an appropriate turbulence model for the analysis. Predictions made by the selected turbulence model are compared with the LDA (Laser Doppler anemometer) measurements from the experiments currently conducted to find the dependency of the flows on the Reynolds number. It is found that the swirl intensity of the secondary flow is a strong function of the radius of curvature of the bend and a weak function of the Reynolds number. Additionally, it is found that the dissipation of the swirl intensity is exponential in nature.

Jongtae Kim

Papers

Characteristics of Secondary Flow Induced by 90-Degree Elbow in Turbulent Pipe Flow