International Journal of Engineering Inventions

e-ISSN: 2278-7461, p-ISSN: 2319-6491

Volume 3, Issue 12 [December. 2014] PP: 77-81

Practical Analysis Of Turbulent Flow In A Pipe Using

Computational Fluid Dynamics
V.RajaKiranKumar1, Dr.H.N.Suresh Kumar2, Ch.Kiran Kumar3
1
(Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, CMR Engineering College, Hyderabad)
2
(Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, CMR Engineering College, Hyderabad).
3
( Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, CMR Engineering College, Hyderabad.)

Abstract: This paper presents computational investigation of turbulent flow inside a pipe. In this paper, a
computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of fully developed turbulent flow in a pipe is implemented with the
help of ANSYS FLUENT 12.0 software and the variation of axial velocity and skin friction coefficient along the
length of pipe is analysed. The fluids used for this purpose are air and water. The results obtained
computationally are found in well agreement with the results obtained analytically.
Keywords: ANSYS FLUENT 12.0, Fully developed flow, Grid, Boundary layer, GAMBIT

I. INTRODUCTION
The transport of fluid in a closed conduit is extremely important in our daily operations. A brief
consideration of the world around us will indicate that there is a wide variety of applications of pipe flow. Such
applications range from the large, man-made Alaskan pipeline that carries crude oil almost 1290 km across
Alaska, to the more complex natural systems of
out of our lungs. Other examples include the water pipes in our homes and the distribution system that delivers
the water from the city well to the house. The analysis of pipe flow is also very important in engineering point
of view. A lot of engineering problem dealt with it. Due to rigorous engineering application and implications, it
has become quite necessary to carry out research analysis on the nature of flow inside pipes and tubes. The
objective of the present work is to investigate the nature of fully developed turbulent flow in a pipe
computationally and to determine the various parameters such as skin friction coefficient and centreline velocity
associated with it.

II. MECHANISM OF INTERNAL FLOW

The fluid body is of finite dimensions and is confined by the channel or pipe walls. At the entry region
to a channel, the fluid develops a boundary layer next to the channel walls, while the central "core" of the fluid
may remain as a uniform flow. Within the boundary layer, viscous stresses are very prominent, slowing down
the fluid due to its friction with the channel walls. This slowdown propagates away from the walls.

Fig1: Mechanism of internal flow

As the fluid enters the channel the fluid particles immediately next to the walls are slowed down, these
particles then viscously interact with and slow down those in the second layer from the wall, and so on.
Downstream, the boundary layers therefore thicken and eventually come together, eliminating the central core.
Eventually, the velocity assumes some average profile across the channel which is no longer influenced by any
edge effects arising from the entrance region. At this point, the flow no longer depends on what has occurred at
the channel entrance, and we could solve for its properties (such as the velocity profile) without including an
entrance region in the calculations. At this stage, we say that the flow has become "fully developed."

www.ijeijournal.com Page | 77
 Practical Analysis Of Turbulent Flow In A Pipe Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

III. LITERATURE REVIEW

A large number of research analyses have been carried out on the internal flows during the recent
years. Taylor (1984) mathematically modelled the airflow through sampling pipes. Taylor (1984) begins by
stating that for a steady incompressible fluid flow through a smooth pipe, the energy conservation equation can
is
equation is applicable to either laminar or turbulent flow. Cole (1999) investigated the disturbances to pipe flow
regimes by jet induction to improve the available techniques to mathematically model the performance of
aspirated smoke detection systems. He stated that there is a significant area of uncertainty in determining the
friction factor and it has not been established that the friction factor is unaffected by upstream disturbances to
the flow regime whether that regime is turbulent, laminar or transitional. He suggested that the assumption that
the flow regime can be regarded as fully developed may not be true. Similar to the work carried out by Taylor
(1984), Cole (1999) suggested that the energy losses in any pipe fitting can be broken down into three
components: entry loss, exit loss and friction losses. Saho et al. (2009) investigated the accuracy of numerical
modelling of the laminar equation to determine the friction factor of pipe. The numerical differential equation is
iterated and converged through the CFD package FLUENT where the friction factor is found to be 0.0151 at the
entrance length of 2.7068 m. while the experimental result shows the value of friction factor as 0.0157.Besides
these previous works, a number of formulations and analytical results have been discussed in various books. The
expression defining the velocity distribution in a pipe flow across turbulent flow is derived and demonstrated in
. Hydro dynamically developed flow is achieved in a pipe
after a certain length i.e. entrance length Le , where the effect of viscosity reaches the centre of pipe. At this
point the velocity assumes some average profile across the pipe which is no longer influenced by any edge
effects arising from the entrance region. The flow of real fluids exhibit viscous effects in pipe flow. Here this
effect is identified for turbulent flow conditions. The relationships defining friction in pipes have been
demonstrated in White, F.M., Fluid Mechanics, 3rd edition, 1994.

Nomenclature V Velocity of flow, m/s

Vc Centreline Velocity or Axial Velocity,m/s Density of fluid, kg/m3
R Radius of Pipe, m f Friction factor
D Diameter of Pipe, m Cf Skin friction coefficient
L Length of Pipe, m n Function of the Reynolds number

IV. ANALYTICAL SOLUTION

The correlation for the velocity profile in turbulent flow is given by

(1)

Where u is the time mean average of x-component of instantaneous velocity, Vc is the centreline velocity or
axial velocity, R is the radius of pipe, r is the radius of elementary ring and n is a function of the Reynolds
number.
To determine the centreline velocity, Vc, we must know the relationship between V (the average velocity) and
Vc. . This can be obtained by integration of equation (1). Since the flow is axisymetric,

(2)

Since , therefore we get

The formula for calculating the value of skin friction coefficient is given by

Where,

www.ijeijournal.com Page | 78
 Practical Analysis Of Turbulent Flow In A Pipe Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

(6)

The pressure drop

(7)

Where f is the friction factor and is calculated with the help of Moody chart.

V. MODELLING AND SIMULATION

The wh ANSYS Fluent 12.0
is computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software package to stimulate fluid flow problems. It uses the finite
volume method to solve the governing equations for a fluid Geometry and grid generation is done using
GAMBIT which is the pre-processor bundled with FLUENT.

VI. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

For turbulent case of air as shown in fig 2 , the centreline velocity for fully developed region is around
1.19m/s while the value calculated analytically is 1.22m/s. Similarly, for turbulent case of water, the value of
centreline velocity for fully developed region according to figure 3 is 0.061m/s while the value obtained
analytically is equal to 0.06122m/s.

Table 1.Input Parameters

S.No. Parameter Turbulent flow
1 Diameter of pipe (m) 0.2
2 Length of pipe(m) 8
3 Flowing Fluid Air, Water
4 Temperature ( K ) 283 , 283
5 Density of fluid (Kg/m3) 1.240722, 1000
6 Viscosity of fluid ( Kg/ms) 176.10e-07, 1.3038e-03
7 Velocity of fluid at inlet (m/s) 1 , 0.05
8 Outside Pressure (atm) 1,1
9 Flow Model K- model
10 Material of pipe Steel

Similarly, for fully developed turbulent flow of air and water, the value of skin friction coefficient
comes out to be 0.01and 0.009 respectively while the values obtained computationally are 0.00795 and 0.01
(figure 4 and figure 5).

Fig 2: Axial Velocity of air along the position of pipe

www.ijeijournal.com Page | 79
Practical Analysis Of Turbulent Flow In A Pipe Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Fig 3: Axial velocity of water along the position of pipe

Fig 4: Skin friction coefficient of air along the position of pipe

Fig 5: Skin friction coefficient of water along the position of pipe

www.ijeijournal.com Page | 80
 Practical Analysis Of Turbulent Flow In A Pipe Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

It is also observed from the results that the axial velocity against position of centreline also reveal that
the axial velocity increases along the length of pipe and after some distance it becomes constant which is in
conformity to the results obtained experimentally
The results of the skin friction coefficient against position of centreline also reveal that the skin friction
decreases along the length of pipe and after some distance it becomes constant which is in conformity to the
results obtained experimentally.

VII. CONCLUSION
Based on the CFD analysis of the flow inside the pipe the following conclusions can be drawn:
1. Computed friction factors and axial velocity were found in close agreement with the analytical values.
2. Skin friction coefficient decreases along with the length of pipe and becomes constant after entering the
fully developed regime.
3. Axial velocity increases along with the length of pipe and in the fully developed regime it becomes
constant.
4. CFD analysis represents successfully the hydrodynamic of the system.

REFERENCES
[1]. Wiley and Sons, 1994.
[2]. Benedict, R. Fundamentals of Pipe Flow, 3rd edition. A. Wiley Inter Sciences, 1980.
[3]. Taylor, N.A. (1984) Modeling of Air Flows Through the Sample Pipe of a Smoke Detecting System, United Kingdom Atomic
Energy Authority
[4]. Cole, M., Disturbance of Flow Regimes by Jet Induction, Ph.D Thesis, Victoria University of Technology, Australia, 1999.
[5]. M. Sahu, Kishanjit Kumar Khatua and Kanhu Charan Patra, T. Naik, Developed laminar flow in pipe using computational fluid
dynamics, 2009,7th International R & D Conference on Development and Management of Water and Energy Resources, 4-6
February2009, Bhubaneswar, India
[6]. White, F.M., Fluid Mechanics, 3rd edition. Mc-Graw Hill, 1994.

www.ijeijournal.com Page | 81