Numerical and CFD Analysis of Joints in Flow-Through Pipe

Abstract

The present work is aimed at performing experimental, CFD, and mathematical investigations on the fluid flow and the flow characteristics of the fluid (water) through gradual expansion and gradual contraction joint of pipes. Head loss suffered by the flow after passing through Gradual Contraction and Gradual Expansion junction and to study the reliability of the classical engineering formulas, and to find the head loss for gradual contraction and gradual expansion junction of pipes were used. In this, we have compared our results with CFD software packages with classical formula and made an attempt to determine optimum cone angle. The experimentation is also carried out for measurement of pressure and further, the CFD result is compared with experimentation. In this work, the CFD software is used to simulate the flow at gradual contraction and gradual expansion junction of pipe with FLUENT and observed flow properties inside the junction and analyzed the head loss suffered by fluid flow after passing through the gradual contraction and gradual expansion junction. One of the purposes of this study is also to study the change in pressure loss with change in a cone angle of gradual contraction and gradual expansion junction and to find out an optimum cone angle.