Study of Laminar flow in T-Junction pipe

V.Vikranth Vempati Shriram

ME15B073 ME15B145
3rd year Undergraduate 3rd year Undergraduate
Department of Department of
Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering
IIT MADRAS IIT MADRAS

Guide
Vishal Nandigana
Assistant Professor
Department Mechanical Engineering
IIT Madras
nandiga@iitm.ac.in

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MADRAS

CONTENTS
1 Introduction
Pipe Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
T-Junction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 Governing Equations
3 Solution Method
Finite Difference Method . . . . . . . . . . .
Finite Volume Method . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Schemes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Central difference Scheme . . . . . . . . . .
Upwind Scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hybrid Differencing Scheme . . . . . . . . .
Computational Domain and Grid Layout .
Boundary Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Solution Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 Results
5 Discussions
Abstract
1 Numerical solutions of the incompressible Navier-Stokes
1 equations are obtained for steady, laminar flows through 90-
1 degree diversions of rectangular cross-section. Literature
reviews of the required mathematical equations and related
boundary conditions was done. Calculations are carried out
1 for various Reynolds numbers and various inlet positions on
the pipe. It is shown that, even for large aspect ratio ducts,
2 the flow at the symmetry plane is significantly affected by the
2 distant top and bottom solid boundaries.
2
2
2
2
1 Introduction
2
2 Pipe Flow
3
Pipe flow, a branch of hydraulics and fluid mechanics,
3
is a type of liquid flow within a closed conduit (conduit in
3 the sense of a means of containment). The other type of flow
within a conduit is open channel flow. These two types of
3 flow are similar in many ways, but differ in one important as-
pect. Pipe flow does not have a free surface which is found in
open-channel flow. Pipe flow, being confined within closed
conduit, does not exert direct atmospheric pressure, but does
exert hydraulic pressure on the conduit.
T-Junction
Fluid flow in the T-junction with the 90 angle of the adja-
cent branch and with the some diameter of each branch. The
flow is organized as a combining flow. It means that there are
two outlet branches and only one inlet branch. There are two
possible kinds of the flow combinations for this T-junction.
(3).jpg (2).jpg
2 Governing Equations
The three-dimensional, incompressible Navier-Stokes equa-
tions and continuity equation in cartesian coordinates are given
below. differencing. The right hand side of the convection-diffusion
equation which basically highlights the diffusion terms can
be represented using central difference approximation. Thus,
∂u ∂v ∂w in order to simplify the solution and analysis, linear interpo-
+ + =0 (1) lation can be used logically to compute the cell face values
∂x ∂y ∂z
for the left hand side of this equation which is nothing but
the convective terms. Therefore, cell face values of property
for a uniform grid can be written as
 2
∂ u ∂2 u ∂2 u
  
∂u ∂u ∂u ∂P Φe = (ΦP + ΦE )/2Φe = (ΦP + ΦE )/2
ρ u +v +w = − +µ + +
∂x ∂y ∂z ∂x ∂x2 ∂y2 ∂z2 Φw = (ΦW + ΦP )/2Φw = (ΦW + ΦP )/2
(2)

Upwind Scheme
 2
∂ v ∂2 v ∂2 v
  
∂v ∂v ∂v ∂P Upwind schemes denote a class of numerical discretiza-
ρ u +v +w = − +µ + +
∂x ∂y ∂z ∂y ∂x2 ∂y2 ∂z2 tion methods for solving hyperbolic partial differential equa-
(3) tions. Upwind schemes use an adaptive or solution-sensitive
finite difference stencil to numerically simulate the direction
 2 of propagation of information in a flow field. The upwind
∂ w ∂2 w ∂2 w
  
∂w ∂w ∂w ∂P schemes attempt to discretize hyperbolic partial differential
ρ u +v +w = − +µ + 2 + 2
∂x ∂y ∂z ∂z ∂x2 ∂y ∂z equations by using differencing biased in the direction deter-
(4) mined by the sign of the characteristic speeds

Hybrid Differencing Scheme

3 Solution Method
The hybrid difference scheme is a method used in the
numerical solution for convectiondiffusion problems. It is a
Finite Difference Method combination of central difference scheme and upwind differ-
In mathematics, finite-difference methods (FDM) are nu- ence scheme as it exploits the favorable properties of both of
merical methods for solving differential equations by approx- these schemes
imating them with difference equations, in which finite dif-
ferences approximate the derivatives. FDMs are thus dis- 
2

φL
  
2 φN
cretization methods. φl = 1+ + 1− ; f or −2 < Pel < 2−2 < Pel < 2
Pel 2 Pel 2
φl = φL f or Pel >= 2
Finite Volume Method φl = φN f or Pel <= −2
The finite volume method (FVM) is a method for rep-
resenting and evaluating partial differential equations in the Computational Domain and Grid Layout
form of algebraic equations. Similar to the finite difference
method or finite element method, values are calculated at dis- A three-dimensional typical computational mesh for a
crete places on a meshed geometry. ”Finite volume” refers to rectangular diversion configuration is considered along with
the small volume surrounding each node point on a mesh. In the Cartesian (X, Y, Z). Calculations are done for L = 1 me-
the finite volume method, volume integrals in a partial differ- ter, 1.2 meter and 1.4 meter with square inlet and exit of size
ential equation that contain a divergence term are converted 0.1x0.1 sq.meter with keeping the inlet position fixed.
to surface integrals, using the divergence theorem. Grid Spacing: 100 equidistant points along x-axis i.e. longest
edge of the pipe and 20x20 equidistant points in y-z plane.
The grid coordinates, flow variables and coordinate transfor-
Schemes mation metrics are stored in long vectors rather than three-
dimensional arrays. The dimension of each vector equals the
Central difference Scheme total number of nodes within the solution domain.
The central differencing scheme is one of the schemes The relationship between aspect ratio and Reynolds number
used to solve the integrated convection-diffusion equation is given by
L 0.315
and to calculate the transported property at the e and w H = 0.068Re+1 + 0.044Re
faces. The advantages of this method are that it is easy to Another formula related to Reynolds number that is used is
understand and to implement, at least for simple material re- Re = ρuDµ
4Area
lations, and that its convergence rate is faster than some other where D is the hydraulic diameter which is Perimeter for a
finite differencing methods, such as forward and backward rectangular inlet and exit.
Boundary Conditions
A constant velocity field is assumed at the entrance chan-
nel. A fully developed velocity profile is assumed at both the
exits by taking ∂u ∂v ∂w
∂x = 0 , ∂y = 0 and ∂z = 0.
No slip condition is assumed at the boundaries i.e. u = v = w
= 0. On the frame, to prevent leakage or loss of pressure we
take ∂p ∂p
∂y = 0 and ∂z = 0 respectively on adjacent faces. While
computing this pressure on the faces adjacent to these faces
are same. Similarly for velocity also at the exits and inlet.
Fig. 2. Inlet Position Shifted. Re = 11 and u@inlet = 0.1m/sec

Solution Algorithm
There are many algorithms to solve a let of linear equa-
tions but most of them take a lot of computational power.
In this paper we are using an algorithm famously known as
”SIMPLE” Algorithm which was developed by Prof. Brian
Spalding and his student Suhas Patankar at Imperial College,
London in the early 1970s. Since then it has been exten-
sively used by many researchers to solve different kinds of
fluid flow and heat transfer problems. SIMPLE algorithm
is a widely used numerical procedure to solve the Navier-
Stokes equations. SIMPLE is an acronym for Semi-Implicit
Fig. 3. Inlet Position Shifted. Re = 22 and u@inlet = 0.2m/sec
Method for Pressure Linked Equations.

4 Results
We represent contour plots of mid plane ( x-z plane ) of
the rectangular pipe section for analysis.
NOTE: Intel in the below diagrams is on the bottem edge
and exits on side edges

Fig. 4. Aspect ration (L/H) reduced by 10. Re = 11 and u@inlet =

0.1m/sec

5 Discussions
Due to computational power restrictions, low Reynolds
numbers and low inlet velocity combinations are chosen due
to which contour plots does not show good velocity distribu-
tion.
Since the width of the pipe is 10cm and the inlet velocity is
low, there isn’t much velocity distribution at the borders near
the inlet.
When the Reynolds number is doubled the there isn’t much
difference at the inlet due to low reynolds number but the
Fig. 1. Re = 11 and u@inlet = 0.1m/sec distribution changes significantly at outlets.
There is a significant difference in velocity distribution when
the aspect ratio is reduced by a multiple of 10 because the
width of pipe reduces to 1cm and since velocity at the inlet
is twice the previous value we have a good distribution.

Due to some computational approximations like round-

ing off errors by the compiler (python here) and some ap-
proximations done by plotting libraries the contour plots may
not be accurate.

Achnowledgements
I would like to thank the instructor of this course ’ME6006:
Computational Heat and Fluid Flow’ as a part of which this
project is done, Vishal Nandigana for giving us such an op-
portunity to learn and apply CFD techniques to some real
life situations. I would also like to thank the course teaching
assistant Ashish for guidance and support through out the
process of making this project.

References 1) Steady and unsteady laminar ows of New-

tonian and generalized Newtonian uids in a planar T-junction
A. I. P. Miranda1, P. J. Oliveira and F. T. Pinho
2) Research Article: Pressure Change in Tee Branch Pipe in
Oscillatory Flow
Daisuke Sakamoto, Chongho Youn and Toshiharu Kagawa
3) NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF LAMINAR FLOWS
THROUGH 90-DEGREE DIVERSIONS OF RECTANGU-
LAR CROSS-SECTION
V. S. NEARYt and F. SOTIROPOULOS
4) Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow Suhas. V. Patankar