WSEAS Transactions on Fluid Mechanics
Print ISSN: 1790-5087, E-ISSN: 2224-347X
Volume 10, 2015
Saw-Tooth Approximation and Numerical Solution for Flows in Inclined Channels
Authors: , ,
Abstract: Incompressible flows inside short or extended pipes present multiple industrial applications and their numerical study is essential for the related companies in order to control the flow variables. The present work is a flexible numerical approach and solution for incompressible flows inside inclined channels. Despite of the non-Cartesian channel bound, a saw-tooth Cartesian grid generation methodology is applied in combination with a finite volume scheme in order to predict the flow field as well as the recirculation zones of the flow. The new Cartesian approximated bound is consisted of only grid lines while solutions are provided for laminar viscous flows for various Reynolds numbers. The solution of Navier-Stokes equations is based on an artificial compressibility technique in combination with the flux-vector splitting methodology. We prove that the methodology is independent of the grid size, step angle or expansion ratio of the channel and the final results present satisfied accuracy despite of the geometry approximation which is taking place during the mesh generation. The utility of the algorithms is tested using related results using body fitted grid approach as well as the flow simulation software FLUENT. We conclude that the below method is appropriate for industrial flows study, manly in power industries, reducing the computational time and providing a simple and flexible scheme which easily can be used and modified by engineers without advanced knowledge in CFD.
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Keywords: Cartesian grids, inclined pipes, saw-tooth method, incompressible flows, sub – grids, viscous flows
Pages: 69-79
WSEAS Transactions on Fluid Mechanics, ISSN / E-ISSN: 1790-5087 / 2224-347X, Volume 10, 2015, Art. #7