Author(s)

Ronald Ming Cho So

Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.

The nature of turbulent swirling and rotating flow in a straight pipe is investigated using a family of near-wall two-equation models. Specifically, the viability of three different near-wall two-equation models is assessed. These models are asymptotically consistent near the wall. The first two models, one with isotropic and another with anisotropic eddy viscosity invoked, solved a dissipation rate equation with no explicit correction made to account for swirl and flow rotation. The third model assumes an isotropic eddy viscosity but solves an improved dissipation rate equation that has explicit corrections made to account for swirl and flow rotation. Calculations of turbulent flows in the swirl number range 0.25 - 1.3 with and without a central recirculation region reveal that, with the exception of the third model, neither one of the other two models can replicate the mean field at the swirl numbers tested. Furthermore, taking stress anisotropy into account also fails to model swirl effect correctly. Significant improvements can be realized from the third model, which is based on an improved dissipation rate equation and the assumption of isotropic eddy viscosity. The predicted mean flow and turbulence statistics correlate well with measurements at low swirl. At high swirl, the two-equation model with an improved dissipation rate equation can still be used to model swirling and rotating pipe flows with a central recirculation region. However, its simulation of flows without a central recirculation region is not as satisfactory.

Dissipation Rate Equation, Swirling and Rotating Pipe Flows

So, R. (2022) Improved Dissipation Rate Equation for Swirling and Rotating Pipe Flows. Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics, 10, 661-687. doi: 10.4236/jamp.2022.103048.