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Experimental validation of RANS and DES modelling of pipe flow mixing

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Abstract

Velocity and concentration profiles in a pipe flow was measured downstream of injection of a tracer gas at the pipe centerline. The pipe had diameter D = 0.2 m and two Reynolds numbers, Re = 50000 and Re = 100000, were used. The profiles were measured at positions 5D and 10D downstream of the injection point. Three different industrial relevant geometrical configurations were used upstream of the injection point: a 10D straight pipe, two 10D pipes connected with a 90° bend or a straight 10D pipe with a mixer plate mounted 2D upstream the injection point. In all cases, air entered the pipe from the surroundings through a sharp-edged inlet. This represents many practical flow applications and is also a well-defined inlet condition that generates turbulence in the vena contracta in the inlet. The measurements were compared to predictions from three different computational models: two with Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and one with high-resolution Detached Eddy Simulation (DES). For RANS, the k-ω SST model had difficulty in predicting the turbulence created by the vena contracta. The k-ε model performed better, but gave completely wrong results for the inlet with a pipe bend. The DES was successful for all cases with only minor deviations from measurements.

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Acknowledgements

This project was funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 - Hercules-2 - research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No. 634135.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark

    Erik Gotfredsen & Knud Erik Meyer

  2. MAN Energy Solution, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Jens Dahl Kunoy & Stefan Mayer

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  1. Erik Gotfredsen
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  2. Jens Dahl Kunoy
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  3. Stefan Mayer
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  4. Knud Erik Meyer
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Correspondence to Knud Erik Meyer.

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Gotfredsen, E., Kunoy, J.D., Mayer, S. et al. Experimental validation of RANS and DES modelling of pipe flow mixing. Heat Mass Transfer 56, 2211–2224 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-020-02835-8

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