Using Experiments, 3D Scanning, and CFD to Analyze the Variance in Energy Losses Through Pipe Elbows

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Pipe bends, or elbows, cause energy loss in pipelines due to the flow conditions they create. This energy loss has traditionally been approximated based on published minor loss coefficients, known as k-factors. However, the energy losses of elbows can vary based on geometric characteristics, which may not be accounted for in the published k-factors. The purpose of this research was to quantify the variance in energy loss resulting from elbows with geometric differences and to determine appropriate methods for approximating these variances using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Eight polyvinyl chloride (PVC) elbows were physically tested in a hydraulic laboratory to determine the individual loss coefficients. The resulting data show that the minor loss coefficient k for two short-radius elbows of the same nominal size can vary by up to 51%. The same tests on two of the elbows were repeated using CFD, in which they were modeled two different ways: 1) using the ideal geometry and 2) using the actual geometry. The actual geometry was captured using 3D scanning. Each geometry was used in a series of simulations, and the results were compared to the experimental data. The CFD simulations were able to reproduce similar variances between the two elbows as displayed in the physical tests, although they were unable to reproduce the same k-factors. When compared to the experimental k-factor data, using the actual geometries captured by 3D scanning was not consistently more accurate than using idealized geometries.