Laminar Flow through a Rectangular Horizontal Channel with Asymmetrical Contraction

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 21-26
Author(s):  
O.A. Morales-Contreras ◽  
J.G. Barbosa-Saldaña ◽  
J.A. Jiménez-Bernal ◽  
Claudia del Carmen Gutiérrez Torres

Numerical simulation for the three-dimensional laminar flow through a forward facing step channel was simulated by Fluent 6.3 code. Four Reynolds numbers and four step lengths were analyzed. The results showed that the length of the recirculation zone upstream the step depends on Reynolds number, as well as on the step height (h), while the height of the recirculation zone extends about 70% of the step height. In addition, it was found that the velocity profile in the stream direction at the channel exit presents a fully developed profile for the axial component. Nonetheless, the profile along the transversal direction does not have a parabolic profile, even for a length of 60h

Author(s):  
Francine Battaglia ◽  
George Papadopoulos

The effect of three-dimensionality on low Reynolds number flows past a symmetric sudden expansion in a channel was investigated. The geometric expansion ratio of in the current study was 2:1 and the aspect ratio was 6:1. Both experimental velocity measurements and two- and three-dimensional simulations for the flow along the centerplane of the rectangular duct are presented for Reynolds numbers in the range of 150 to 600. Comparison of the two-dimensional simulations with the experiments revealed that the simulations fail to capture completely the total expansion effect on the flow, which couples both geometric and hydrodynamic effects. To properly do so requires the definition of an effective expansion ratio, which is the ratio of the downstream and upstream hydraulic diameters and is therefore a function of both the expansion and aspect ratios. When the two-dimensional geometry was consistent with the effective expansion ratio, the new results agreed well with the three-dimensional simulations and the experiments. Furthermore, in the range of Reynolds numbers investigated, the laminar flow through the expansion underwent a symmetry-breaking bifurcation. The critical Reynolds number evaluated from the experiments and the simulations was compared to other values reported in the literature. Overall, side-wall proximity was found to enhance flow stability, helping to sustain laminar flow symmetry to higher Reynolds numbers in comparison to nominally two-dimensional double-expansion geometries. Lastly, and most importantly, when the logarithm of the critical Reynolds number from all these studies was plotted against the reciprocal of the effective expansion ratio, a linear trend emerged that uniquely captured the bifurcation dynamics of all symmetric double-sided planar expansions.


1981 ◽  
Vol 103 (4) ◽  
pp. 785-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Masliyah ◽  
K. Nandakumar

The Navier-Stokes equation in a rotating frame of reference is solved numerically to obtain the flow field for a steady, fully developed laminar flow of a Newtonian fluid in a twisted tube having a square cross-section. The macroscopic force and energy balance equations and the viscous dissipation term are presented in terms of variables in a rotating reference frame. The computed values of friction factor are presented for dimensionless twist ratios, (i.e., length of tube over a rotation of π radians normalized with respect to half the width of tube) of 20, 10, 5 and 2.5 and for Reynolds numbers up to 2000. The qualitative nature of the axial velocity profile was observed to be unaffected by the swirling motion. The secondary motion was found to be most important near the wall.


Author(s):  
F. M. El-Mahallawy ◽  
M. A. Hassan ◽  
M. A. Ismail ◽  
H. Zafan

The purpose of this paper is to present and evaluate numerical experiments illustrating the flow features in a 3-D furnace utilizing unconventional asymmetrical jet that creates natural recirculation zone. The numerical simulation of this aerodynamic stabilization method have unveiled the three-dimensional nature of the flow pattern which possesses a quite large reverse flow region. The size and strength of the built recirculation zone would be capable of stabilizing the burning of low-quality fuels.


2012 ◽  
Vol 692 ◽  
pp. 332-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryoichi Kurose ◽  
Mamiko Anami ◽  
Akitoshi Fujita ◽  
Satoru Komori

AbstractThe characteristics of flow past a heated/cooled sphere are investigated for particle Reynolds numbers $50\leq {\mathit{Re}}_{p} \leq 500$ in conditions with and without buoyancy by means of three-dimensional numerical simulation in which temperature dependence of fluid properties such as density and viscosity is exactly taken into account. The results show that in the absence of buoyancy, drag coefficients of the heated and cooled spheres are larger and smaller than those of the adiabatic case, respectively, and their Nusselt numbers are smaller and larger than the values estimated by a widely used empirical expression for predicting Nusselt numbers, respectively. In addition, the temperature difference between the sphere and ambient fluid strongly affects the flow separation points, size of vortex ring behind the sphere and Strouhal number for vortex shedding. These changes are attributed to the temperature dependence of fluid properties in the vicinity of the sphere. Even in the presence of buoyancy, the temperature dependence of fluid properties strongly affects the drag coefficient and Nusselt number and therefore the Boussinesq approximation becomes inapplicable as the temperature difference increases, regardless of the magnitude of the Richardson number.


2013 ◽  
Vol 765-767 ◽  
pp. 514-519
Author(s):  
Min Chen ◽  
Zhi Guo Zhang

The numerical simulation of the developing turbulent flow through a three-dimensional curved pipe with strong curvature is presented. This numerical simulation is to investigate the flow structure of pipe-flow through a 90° bent pipe with the aid of RNG k-ε turbulence model, which had been well validated for high screwed curvature flow. Dean Motion downstream of the bend are found and presented. And the numerical result demonstrates that Dean motions co-exist with large scale swirling motions inside the bend pipe. Snapshot of velocity and pressure reveals that the structures found upstream of the bend persist after the bend and survive the strong secondary motions induced by the pipe curvature.


2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir Viktorov ◽  
Carmen Visconte ◽  
Md Readul Mahmud

A novel passive micromixer, denoted as the Y-Y mixer, based on split-and-recombine (SAR) principle is proposed and studied both experimentally and numerically over Reynolds numbers ranging from 1 to 100. Two species are supplied to a prototype via a Y inlet, and flow through four identical elements repeated in series; the width of the mixing channel varies from 0.4 to 0.6 mm, while depth is 0.4 mm. An image analysis technique was used to evaluate mixture homogeneity at four target areas along the mixer. Numerical simulations were found to be a useful support for observing the complex three-dimensional flow inside the channels. Comparison with a known mixer, the tear-drop one, based on the same SAR principle, was also performed, to have a point of reference for evaluating performances. A good agreement was found between numerical and experimental results. Over the examined range of Reynolds numbers Re, the Y-Y micromixer showed at its exit an almost flat mixing characteristic, with a mixing efficiency higher than 0.9; conversely, the tear-drop mixer showed a relevant decrease of efficiency at the midrange. The good performance of the Y-Y micromixer is due to the three-dimensional 90 deg change of direction that occurs in its channel geometry, which causes a fluid swirling already at the midrange of Reynolds numbers. Consequently, the fluid path is lengthened and the interfacial area of species is increased, compensating for the residence time reduction.


2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Banks ◽  
N. W. Bressloff

Under normal healthy conditions, blood flow in the carotid artery bifurcation is laminar. However, in the presence of a stenosis, the flow can become turbulent at the higher Reynolds numbers during systole. There is growing consensus that the transitional k−ω model is the best suited Reynolds averaged turbulence model for such flows. Further confirmation of this opinion is presented here by a comparison with the RNG k−ϵ model for the flow through a straight, nonbifurcating tube. Unlike similar validation studies elsewhere, no assumptions are made about the inlet profile since the full length of the experimental tube is simulated. Additionally, variations in the inflow turbulence quantities are shown to have no noticeable affect on downstream turbulence intensity, turbulent viscosity, or velocity in the k−ϵ model, whereas the velocity profiles in the transitional k−ω model show some differences due to large variations in the downstream turbulence quantities. Following this validation study, the transitional k−ω model is applied in a three-dimensional parametrically defined computer model of the carotid artery bifurcation in which the sinus bulb is manipulated to produce mild, moderate, and severe stenosis. The parametric geometry definition facilitates a powerful means for investigating the effect of local shape variation while keeping the global shape fixed. While turbulence levels are generally low in all cases considered, the mild stenosis model produces higher levels of turbulent viscosity and this is linked to relatively high values of turbulent kinetic energy and low values of the specific dissipation rate. The severe stenosis model displays stronger recirculation in the flow field with higher values of vorticity, helicity, and negative wall shear stress. The mild and moderate stenosis configurations produce similar lower levels of vorticity and helicity.


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