Experiments on Backward-Facing Step Flows Preceding a Filter

Author(s):  
S. Yao ◽  
C. Krishnamoorthy ◽  
F. W. Chambers

The resistance of automotive air filters alters upstream pressure gradients and thereby affects flow separation, the velocity distributions over the filter, and the performance of the filter. Air filters provide a resistance sufficient to alter flows, but not enough to make face velocities uniform. The backward-facing step flow is an archetype with a separation that resembles those found in automotive air filter housings. To gain insight to the problem of separation and filters, experiments were conducted measuring velocity fields for air flows in a 10:1 aspect ratio rectangular duct with a backward-facing step with and without the resistance of an air filter mounted downstream. The expansion ratio for the step was 1:2. The filter was mounted 4.25 and 6.75 step heights downstream of the step; locations both upstream and downstream of the nominal 6 step-height no-filter reattachment point. Experiments were performed at four Reynolds numbers between 2000 and 10,000. The Reynolds numbers were based on step height and inlet maximum velocity. The inlet velocity profiles at the step were developed. A Laser Doppler Anemometer (LDA) was used to measure velocity profiles and map separated regions between the step and the filter. The results indicate that the filter tends to decrease the streamwise velocity on the non-separated side of the channel and increase it on the separated, step, side compared to the no-filter flow. Non-separated flow tends to separate due to the deceleration and separated flow reattaches before the filter, whether the filter is placed at 4.25 or 6.75 step heights. The literature shows that without a filter the reattachment location depends on the Reynolds number in the laminar and transitional regimes, but is constant for turbulent flow. However, the area of the reversed flow may vary with Reynolds number for turbulent flow. With the filter at 4.25 step heights, the area of reversing flow is reduced significantly, and the Reynolds number has little effect on the main properties of the flow. With the filter at 6.75 step heights, the reversing flow area decreases as the Reynolds number increases though the reattachment point is fixed just upstream of the filter.

1988 ◽  
Vol 110 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Durst ◽  
J. C. F. Pereira

This paper presents results of numerical studies of the impulsively starting backward-facing step flow with the step being mounted in a plane, two-dimensional duct. Results are presented for Reynolds numbers of Re = 10; 368 and 648 and for the last two Reynolds numbers comparisons are given between experimental and numerical results obtained for the final steady state flow conditions. In the computational scheme, the convective terms in the momentum equations are approximated by a 13-point quadratic upstream weighted finite-difference scheme and a fully implicit first order forward differencing scheme is used to discretize the temporal derivatives. The computations show that for the higher Reynolds numbers, the flow starts to separate on the lower and upper corners of the step yielding two disconnected recirculating flow regions for some time after the flow has been impulsively started. As time progresses, these two separated flow regions connect up and a single recirculating flow region emerges. This separated flow region stays attached to the step, grows in size and approaches, for the time t → ∞, the dimensions measured and predicted for the separation region for steady laminar backward-facing flow. For the Reynolds number Re = 10 the separation starts at the bottom of the backward-facing step and the separation region enlarges with time until the steady state flow pattern is reached. At the channel wall opposite to the step and for Reynolds number Re = 368, a separated flow region is observed and it is shown to occur for some finite time period of the developing, impulsively started backward-facing step flow. Its dimensions change with time and reduce to zero before the steady state flow pattern is reached. For the higher Reynolds number Re = 648, the secondary separated flow region opposite to the wall is also present and it is shown to remain present for t → ∞. Two kinds of the inlet conditions were considered; the inlet mean flow was assumed to be constant in a first study and was assumed to increase with time in a second one. The predicted flow field for t → ∞ turned out to be identical for both cases. They were also identical to the flow field predicted for steady, backward-facing step flow using the same numerical grid as for the time-dependent predictions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Steven Darmawan ◽  
Joshua Nove Octavian

Sistem tata udara pada bidang perhotelan merupakan salah satu aspek penting untuk menunjang kenyamanan, yang pada daerah pariwisata seperti Bali dengan iklim tropis dilakukan dengan aplikasi pendingin udara (AC). Aliran udara pada hotel bertingkat biasa dibuat terpusat dan dialirkan ke tempat tujuan dengan menggunakan ducting dengan penampang segi empat. Menyesuaikan dengan denah yang ada, seringkali terdapat bagian ducting yang harus dibuat bertingkat pada titik datum yang sama (zona ekspansi). Geometri bertingkat ini dapat menghasilkan kerugian aliran karena pada zona ekspansi tersebut timbul aliran berputar (aliran resirkulasi). Pemahaman terhadap aliran berputar dapat dilakukan dengan lebih mudah, menarik dan berbiaya rendah dengan menggunakan geometri Backward-facing step (BFS). Pada penelitian ini, dilakukan analisis numerik melalui simulasi CFD terhadap aliran resirkulasi pada sebuah geometri backward-facing step, dengan panjang total (L) = 4050 mm, step height (h) = 41 mm, upstream height (H) = 81 mm, rasio ekspansi = 1.5, dan lebar (t) = 20h. Eksperimen dilakukan dengan fluida kerja asap. Untuk mendapatkan hasil yang lebih luas, eksperimen juga dilakukan pada 3 (tiga) variasi bilangan Reynolds: Re = 7.315,79; Re = 21.947,37; dan Re = 29.263,16. Simulasi CFD dilakukan secara 3 dimensi dengan menggunakan model turbulen RNG k-?, mesh jenis triangular dengan jumlah nodal sebanyak 36.806 nodal. Vorteks resirkulasi ditunjukkan melalui zona resirkulasi yang direpresentasikan oleh vektor kecepatan arah-x dan titik penyatuan (reattachment point) yang diukur dari zona resirkulasi. Hasil simulasi CFD menunjukkan bahwa vorteks resirkulasi timbul pada X/h = 29.2 hingga X/h = 35 untuk seluruh bilangan Reynolds uji yang direpresentasikan oleh vektor kecepatan arah-x, dimana Reynolds Re = 7.315,79 menghasilkan titik penyatuan pada X/h > 35 dari zona resirkulasi, lebih jauh dibandingkan dengan yang dicapai oleh bilangan Reynolds yang semakin besar Air conditioning system is an important aspect in tourism industry that has become a priority sector in Bali, Indonesia. It’s tropical climate make the air conditioning system use for cooling system only (AC). The centralized air conditioning system in high rise building uses ducting system with rectangular cross-sectional area which often depends on a given blue print. Some specific area of the blue print may lead to adjustment of the ducting system, e.g. the gradual step of the ducting system. This gradual base of the ducting may cause additional consequences, a recirculation flow at the gradation area (the expansion zone). As already known, the recirculation flow leads to flow losses. This paper discuss an numerical analysis with CFD simulation of a backward-facing step (BFS) geometry. The BFS geometry used in this has total length (L) = 4050 mm, step height (h) = 41 mm, upstream height (H) = 81 mm, expansion ratio = 1.5, and width (t) = 20h. The CFD simulation conducted three dimensionaly with RNG k-? turbulence model, and 36.806 triangular nodes. Recirculation vortices represented by recirculation zone with x-velocity and reattachment point. The result of CFD simulation that is conducted to Reynolds number Re = 7.315,79; Re = 21.947,37; dan Re = 29.263,16 shows that recirculation vortices occur at X/h = 29,2 to X/h = 35 for tested Reynolds number. Reattachment point at Reynolds number of 7.315.79 occur at X/h > 35, which farther than that is achieved at larger Reynolds number.


2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrique Stel ◽  
Rigoberto E. M. Morales ◽  
Admilson T. Franco ◽  
Silvio L. M. Junqueira ◽  
Raul H. Erthal ◽  
...  

This article describes a numerical and experimental investigation of turbulent flow in pipes with periodic “d-type” corrugations. Four geometric configurations of d-type corrugated surfaces with different groove heights and lengths are evaluated, and calculations for Reynolds numbers ranging from 5000 to 100,000 are performed. The numerical analysis is carried out using computational fluid dynamics, and two turbulence models are considered: the two-equation, low-Reynolds-number Chen–Kim k-ε turbulence model, for which several flow properties such as friction factor, Reynolds stress, and turbulence kinetic energy are computed, and the algebraic LVEL model, used only to compute the friction factors and a velocity magnitude profile for comparison. An experimental loop is designed to perform pressure-drop measurements of turbulent water flow in corrugated pipes for the different geometric configurations. Pressure-drop values are correlated with the friction factor to validate the numerical results. These show that, in general, the magnitudes of all the flow quantities analyzed increase near the corrugated wall and that this increase tends to be more significant for higher Reynolds numbers as well as for larger grooves. According to previous studies, these results may be related to enhanced momentum transfer between the groove and core flow as the Reynolds number and groove length increase. Numerical friction factors for both the Chen–Kim k-ε and LVEL turbulence models show good agreement with the experimental measurements.


1978 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. H. Alvi ◽  
K. Sridharan ◽  
N. S. Lakshmana Rao

Loss characteristics of sharp-edged orifices, quadrant-edged orifices for varying edge radii, and nozzles are studied for Reynolds numbers less than 10,000 for β ratios from 0.2 to 0.8. The results may be reliably extrapolated to higher Reynolds numbers. Presentation of losses as a percentage of meter pressure differential shows that the flow can be identified into fully laminar regime, critical Reynolds number regime, relaminarization regime, and turbulent flow regime. An integrated picture of variation of parameters such as discharge coefficient, loss coefficient, settling length, pressure recovery length, and center line velocity confirms this classification.


2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith R. Martin

The transition from laminar to turbulent in-tube flow is studied in this paper. Water flow in a glass tube with an inside diameter of 21.7 mm was investigated by two methods. First, a dye visualization test using a setup similar to the 1883 experiment of Osborne Reynolds was conducted. For the dye visualization, Reynolds numbers ranging from approximately 1000 to 3500 were tested and the transition from laminar to turbulent flow was observed between Reynolds numbers of 2500 and 3500. For the second method, a particle image velocimetry (PIV) system was used to measure the velocity profiles of flow in the same glass tube at Reynolds numbers ranging from approximately 500 to 9000. The resulting velocity profiles were compared to theoretical laminar profiles and empirical turbulent power-law profiles. Good agreement was found between the lower Reynolds number flow and the laminar profile, and between the higher Reynolds number flow and turbulent power-law profile. In between the flow appeared to be in a transition region and deviated some between the two profiles.


1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hidesada Kanda

Abstract A conceptual model was constructed for the problem of determining in circular pipes the conditions under which the transition from laminar to turbulent flow occurs, so that it becomes possible to calculate the minimum critical Reynolds number. Up until now this problem has been investigated by stability theory with disturbances at the pipe inlet. However, the minimum critical Reynolds number has not yet been obtained theoretically. Hence, the author took up the problem directly from many previous experimental investigations and found that (i) plots of the transition length versus the Reynolds number show that the transition occurs in the entrance region under the condition of a natural disturbance, and (ii) plots of the critical Reynolds number versus the ratio of bellmouth diameter to the pipe diamter show that with larger shapes of bellmouths, laminar flow will persist to higher Reynolds numbers. The problem is thus defined clearly as: Under the condition of an ordinary disturbance, the transition from laminar to turbulent flow occurs in the entrance region of a straight circular pipe, then the Reynolds number takes a minimum value of about 2000.


2008 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 35-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylwia Peryt-Stawiarska ◽  
Zdzisław Jaworski

Fluctuations of the non-Newtonian fluid flow in a Kenics static mixer: An experimental study The measurements for a Kenics static mixer were carried out using Laser Doppler Anemometer (LDA). The test fluid was non-Newtonian solution of CMC, Blanose type 9H4. The velocity data inside the 5th Kenics insert were collected for the axial components at five levels of Reynolds number, Re = 20 ÷ 120. Velocity fluctuations were also analyzed in the frequency domain, after processing them with the help of the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) procedure. The spectra of fluctuations provided information about level of the fluctuations in the observed range of Reynolds number. The obtained data were then also used to plot the velocity profiles for the fifth insert of the Kenics mixer. It was concluded that in the investigated range of Reynolds numbers (Re = 20 ÷ 120) a strong dependence of the velocity profiles and the flow fluctuations on Reynolds number was observed.


1934 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 770-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. N. Patterson

The motion of air through a channel of small exponential divergence has been investigated experimentally. A flow form derived by Blasius from theoretical considerations has been shown to exist in the range [Formula: see text] for the Reynolds number. The dependence of the general flow form on the initial velocity distribution where the divergence begins has been studied. It has been found that when this initial velocity distribution is parabolic, indicating a laminar motion in the throat of the channel, the flow form is symmetrical. Further investigations have shown that when the initial velocity distribution indicates that the motion near the walls in the throat of the channel lies in the transitional region between a laminar and a turbulent flow, then the flow form is unsymmetrical. Empirical equations have been obtained which give (1) the initial velocity distribution in the transitional region at R = 75.1, and (2) the motion near the walls where the divergence begins for Reynolds numbers lying in the range [Formula: see text].


2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Allan I. J. Love ◽  
Donald Giddings ◽  
Henry Power

The turbulent flow through a 3D diffuser featuring a double expansion is investigated using computational fluid dynamics. Time dependent simulations are reported using the stress omega Reynolds stress model available in ANSYS FLUENT 13.0. The flow topography and characteristics over a range of Reynolds numbers from 42,000 to 170,000 is reported, and its features are consistent with those investigated for other similar geometries. A transition from a chaotic separated flow to one featuring one large recirculation in one corner of the diffuser is predicted at a Reynolds number of 80,000. For a Reynolds number of 170,000 a precessing/flapping motion of the main flow field was identified, the frequency of which is consistent with other numerical and experimental studies.


1988 ◽  
Vol 110 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. Morse

Predictions of the isothermal, incompressible flow in the cavity formed between two corotating plane disks and a peripheral shroud have been obtained using an elliptic calculation procedure and a low turbulence Reynolds number k–ε model for the estimation of turbulent transport. Both radial inflow and outflow are investigated for a wide range of flow conditions involving rotational Reynolds numbers up to ∼106. Although predictive accuracy is generally good, the computed flow in the Ekman layers for radial outflow often displays a retarded spreading rate and a tendency to laminarize under conditions that are known from experiment to produce turbulent flow.


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