Study of Mixing at Cross Junction in Water Distribution Systems Based on Computational Fluid Dynamics

Abstract

Solute mixing at the cross junction was assumed to be instantaneous and completely mixed in initial water quality models of water distribution system. With recent developments, some computational simulations and experiments verified an incomplete mixing state at cross junctions, which affected the accuracy of water quality model in water distribution networks. This paper, by the theory of computational fluid dynamics, confirms incomplete mixing at the pipe intersections. At the cross of pipe network, the forward direction of the fluid particle is directly related to water momentum. A mixing model at the cross in water supply networks is established to improve the water quality model and the simulation accuracy. For the potential of accidental or intentional contamination events, it makes a powerful prediction. This study is working to prevent and prepare for terrorist attacks, minimize public health impacts and infrastructure damage, and enhance recovery.