Proceedings of the ME 575

Advanced Fluid Mechanics

Spring 2021
May 02, 2021; SIUE

Class Project- ME 575

ANALYZING THE HAGEN-POISEUILLE FLOW THROUGH A RECTANGULAR DUCT USING

CFD.

Shuva Das1
1
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

ABSTRACT
This study presents an analysis of the Hagen-Poiseuille flow
through rectangular duct. Using the Open-FOAM software,
velocity and pressure distribution across the duct are obtained.
Then the result is compared with the output of analytical solution
available in the Textbook. The comparison clearly indicates that
the CFD result from Open FOAM is very similar to the output of
Textbook analytical solution. Such analysis of a classical fluid
flow phenomenon provides significant insight in demonstrating
the pressure driven flow and utilize this knowledge while dealing
with real fluid flow.
Keywords: Hagen-Poiseuille Flow, Duct, Velocity Profile,
Entrance Effect, CFD

NOMENCLATURE FIGURE 1: FULLY DEVELOPED POISEUILLE FLOW

The nomenclature used in the present study are as the THROUGH A DUCT.
following:
ν nu Then with appropriate boundary conditions and mesh generation
μ mu using the Open-FOAM software the indicated flow can be better
analyzed. The results that are obtained from the CFD analysis is
1. INTRODUCTION then compared with the numerical output that comes from the
Poiseuille flows are generated by pressure gradients, with textbook analytical solution.
application primarily to ducts. They are named after J. L. M.
Poiseuille (1840). During the flow initiation, formation of thin 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
shear layer and core acceleration is named as entrance effect. The In the present study we are going to have the velocity and
shear layers grow and meet, and the core disappears within a pressure distribution in response to the pressure driven flow
short entrance length Le. When the length of the geometry along through a rectangular duct. As in this case, the duct is
the flow direction becomes greater than the Le, the velocity rectangular, so the hydraulic diameter Dh should be defined.
becomes purely axial and varies only with the lateral Once Dh is determined, Reynolds number Re can be obtained for
coordinates. The flow is then called fully developed. For a fully an average inlet velocity uavg. Dh and Re are used to determine
developed flow, the continuity and momentum equations can be the Entrance Length Le. Having found the Le, the length of the
formulated considering the steady state, incompressible, laminar geometry in the flow direction is defined in such a way that it is
flow for Newtonian fluid as below: greater than Le to have a fully developed internal flow.
𝜕𝑢
𝜕𝑥
=0 (1) Accordingly, the findings are, Hydraulic Diameter, Dh = 4⋅A / P
𝜕2𝑢 𝜕2𝑢 1 𝑑𝑝^
Where, A = cross sectional area of the duct.P = perimeter of the
𝜕𝑦2
+ 𝜕𝑧2 = 𝜇 𝑑𝑥
= Constant (2) duct. Dh= 1 cm. Reynolds number, Re = uavg * L /ν. Where, L =
characteristic length, in the case of a rectangular duct it's the
hydraulic diameter Dh. uavg = Average velocity, ν = kinematic

1 © 2019 by ASME
viscosity of water = 1x10^-6, uavg =Q/A=0.025 m/s, inserting The velocity distribution at the cross section where the flow is
yields, Re= uavg x Dh / ν = 250, Entrance length L = 0.06 x Re x fully developed, comes out to be as below:
Dh = 0.15 m. So, to have fully developed flow, we are
considering Length (x) 16 cm, Width (y) 1 cm, Height (z) 1 cm.

FIGURE 2: RECTANGULAR GEOMETRY FOR THE INTERNAL

FLOW.
FIGURE 4: CLUSTERED GRIDS BESIDE THE DUCT WALL
CAPTURE STEEP GRADIENT OF THE VELOCITY.
With this geometry introduction (Fig 2), boundary conditions are
no slip velocity at the wall, velocity is maximum through the Without the grids the velocity distribution appears as below and
centerline of the flow direction and uavg =0.025 m/s is the inlet depicts that velocity is maximum 0.051 m/s at the duct center
velocity. The pressure at the outlet of the duct should be zero. and gradually it decreases until it becomes zero at the duct wall
Using the Open-FOAM blockMesh utility the mesh can be due to no slip boundary condition.
generated regarding the above case set-up. Then icoFoam solver
solves the flow and generates velocity and pressure distribution
which are viewed by Paraview platform. A MATLAB code
utilizing the textbook analytical solution, can determine the exit
velocity and plot the velocity profile for the flow. Two equations
are:
𝑑𝑝/𝑑𝑥
u=- 4𝜇
(ro2 – r2) (3)
where r is the distance from centerpoint of the duct to the duct
wall.
umax = 2* uavg (4)
Having the numerical solution, it can be compared with the CFD
findings.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Fig 3 illustrates the dimensions of the geometry in the flow
direction and at the same time depicts that the flow is driven by
pressure gradient.
FIGURE 5: VELOCITY DISTRIBUTION AT x=0.16 METER.

Above findings from CFD can be viewed with the help of a

velocity over Hydraulic Diameter plot too and can be compared
side by side with the finding from Analytical solution output
obtained by writing a MATLAB code. The comparison presents
that, at the fully developed flow section, the maximum velocity
is 0.051 m/s from the Open-Foam analysis and 0.050 m/s from
FIGURE 3: PRESENCE OF PRESSURE GRADIENT ALONG THE the MATLAB plotting. That means the deviation is 2% from the
FLOW DIRECTION. analytical solution which is in acceptable range. This deviation

2 © 2019 by ASME
can be minimized with finer mesh creation, geometry dimension 4. CONCLUSION
adjustment and suitable Reynolds number. The Hagen- Poiseuille flow is a classical fluid flow
phenomenon in the Advanced Fluid Mechanics field. The
analysis from this study of Poiseuille flows is about bringing out
the insight of such pressure driven flow so that this knowledge
can help understanding the real fluid flow in a much better way.

REFERENCES
[1] White, F.M. Viscous fluid flow, 2006
[2] Sparrow, E.M.; Hixon, C.; Shavit, G. Experiments on
laminar flow development in rectangular ducts. Journal of Basic
Engineering 1967, 89, 116.
[3] Holmes, D.; Vermeulen, J. Velocity profiles in ducts
with rectangular cross sections. Chemical Engineering Science
1968, 23, 717-722.
FIGURE 6: COMPARISON OF CFD RESULT AND
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION OUTPUT.

Similar profile can be obtained to visualize the pressure gradient

along the flow direction also from Open-FOAM:

FIGURE 7: PRESSURE GRADIENT ALONG THE FLOW

DIRECTION.

The observations are satisfactorily consistent with the analytical

solution findings.

3 © 2019 by ASME
Appendix:
blockMeshDict

1
2
controlDict

3
Boundary conditions for velocity

4
Boundary condition for Pressure

5
MATLAB code to find the exit velocity and get a plot for the analytical solution.

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FIGURE 1: FULLY DEVELOPED POISEUILLE FLOW THROUGH A DUCT.

FIGURE 2: RECTANGULAR GEOMETRY FOR THE INTERNAL FLOW.

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 FIGURE 3: PRESENCE OF PRESSURE GRADIENT ALONG THE FLOW DIRECTION.

FIGURE 4: CLUSTERED GRIDS BESIDE THE DUCT WALL CAPTURE STEEP GRADIENT OF THE VELOCITY.

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FIGURE 5: VELOCITY DISTRIBUTION AT x=0.16 METER.

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FIGURE 6: COMPARISON OF CFD RESULT AND ANALYTICAL SOLUTION OUTPUT.

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FIGURE 7: PRESSURE GRADIENT ALONG THE FLOW DIRECTION.

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