Assessment of k – ε models using tetrahedral grids to describe the turbulent flow field of a PBT impeller and validation through the PIV technique

Abstract

Abstract In turbulence modeling, the RNG and Realizable models have important improvements in the turbulent production and dissipation terms in comparison to the Standard. The selection of the appropriate turbulence model has an impact on the convergence and solution in STRs, and they are used in mixing, multiphase modeling or as starting solution of transient models as DES and LES. Although there are several studies with the pitched blade turbine (PBT) impeller, most of them used the Standard model as representative of all k–e models, using structured hexahedral grids composed of low number of cells, and in some cases under axial symmetry assumptions. Accordingly, in this work the assessment of the Standard, RNG and Realizable models to describe the turbulent flow field of this impeller, using the Multiple Reference Frame (MRF) and Sliding Mesh (SM) approaches with tetrahedral domains in dense grids, is presented . This kind of cell elements is especially suitable to reproduce complex geometries. Flow velocities and turbulent parameters were verified experimentally by PIV and torque measurements. The three models were capable of predicting fairly the pumping number, the power number based on torque, and velocities. Although the RNG improved the predictions of the turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate, the Realizable model presented better performance for both approaches. All models failed in the prediction of the total dissipation rate, and a dependence of its value on the number of cells for the MRF was found.