Numerical Simulation of Characteristics of Sudden Reduction Tube Flow Based on FLUENT

Abstract

Sudden reduction tube was always used in spillway tunnel, drainage pipes and so on. The energy loss coefficient of sudden reduction tube flows is an important index of sudden reduction tube. In the present paper, this coefficient and relative parameters, such as the contraction ratio and Reynolds number of the flow through sudden reduction tube, were analyzed by theoretical considerations, and their relationships were obtained by the numerical simulations. It could be concluded that the energy loss coefficient was mainly dominated by the contraction ratio. The less the contraction ratio is, the larger is the energy loss coefficient. When Reynolds number is more than 105, Reynolds number has little impact on it. An empirical expression, which was verified by comparison with other experiment data, was presented to calculate the energy loss coefficient of sudden reduction tube flows.