Computation of Laminar and Turbulent Flow in Curved Ducts, Channels, and Pipes Using the Navier-Stokes Equations

Book excerpt: Both laminar and turbulent flows in strongly curved ducts, channels, and pipes are studied by numerical methods. The study concentrates on the curved square-duct geometry and flow conditions for which detailed measurements have been obtained recently by Taylor, Whitelaw, and Yianneskis. The solution methodology encompasses solution of the compressible ensemble-averaged Navier-Stokes equations at low Mach number using a split linearized block implicit (LBI) scheme, and rapid convergence on the order of 80 noniterative time steps is obtained. The treatment of turbulent flows includes resolution of the viscous sublayer region. A series of solutions for both laminar and turbulent flow and for both two- and three-dimensional geometries of the same curvature are presented. The accuracy of these solutions is explored by mesh refinement and by comparison with experiment. In summary, good qualitative and reasonable quantitative agreement between solution and experiment is obtained. Collectively, this sequence of results serves to clarify the physical structure of these flows and hence how grid selection procedures might be adjusted to improve the numerical accuracy and experimental agreement. For a three-dimensional flow of considerable complexity, the relatively good agreement with experiment obtained for the turbulent flow case despite a coarse grid must be regarded as encouraging. (Author).