Effects of inlet velocity profiles for thermal stripping phenomena in T-junctions
Abstract This paper investigates the effects of different inlet velocities on thermal stripping phenomena within a T-junction. The computational flow domain is modelled using the Improved Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (IDDES) turbulence model implemented within the commercial CFD code STAR-CCM+ 12.04. The computational model is validated against the OECD-NEA-Vattenfall T-junction Benchmark data. The influence of flat and fully developed inlet velocity profiles is then assessed. The results are in good agreement with the experimental data. The different inlet velocity profiles have a non-negligible effect on the mean wall temperature. The mean velocity shows lower sensitivity to changes in inlet velocity profiles, whose influence is confined mainly to the recirculation zone near the T-junction.