Computational Fluid Dynamics Study on Water Flow in a Hollow Helical Pipe

Ebrahim  Ahmadloo; Najmeh  Sobhanifar; Fatemeh Sadat  Hosseini

doi:10.4236/ojfd.2014.42012

Ebrahim Ahmadloo^*, Najmeh Sobhanifar, Fatemeh Sadat Hosseini

Abstract: Although curved pipes are used in a wide range of applications, flow in curved pipes is relatively less well known than that in straight ducts. This paper presents a computational fluid dynamics study of isothermal laminar single-phase flow of water in a hollow helical pipe at various Reynolds numbers. The ranging of Reynolds numbers of fluid was from 703.2 to 1687.7. The three dimensional governing equations for mass and momentum have been solved. It was found that with increasing Reynolds number and creation of centrifugal forces, a high velocity and pressure region occurs between two tubes, at the outer side of the hollow helical pipe walls. Friction factor decreases as the tendency for turbulence increases.

Keywords: Computational Fluid Dynamics, Water Flow, Hollow Helical Pipe, Pressure Gradient, Velocity

Cite this paper: Ahmadloo, E. , Sobhanifar, N. and Hosseini, F. (2014) Computational Fluid Dynamics Study on Water Flow in a Hollow Helical Pipe. Open Journal of Fluid Dynamics, 4, 133-139. doi: 10.4236/ojfd.2014.42012.

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