Author(s): Simindokht SaemI; Mehrdad Raisee; Michel J. Cervantes; Ahmad Nourbakhsh

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Keywords: Ball valve modelling; fluid dynamics; laminar flow; three-dimensional numerical simulation; turbulent flow; two-dimensional numerical simulation; water hammer

Abstract: This paper investigates water hammer flows using two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) numerical simulations. The unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) equations in conjunction with the k–ω SST turbulence model are employed for the computations. The valve modelling approach is used for 3D simulations, with superior agreement with the experiments. Similar predictions are obtained by 2D simulations and the flow rate reduction curve obtained from the 3D computations. The asymmetric flow patterns induced by the valve are confined within approximately one pipe diameter upstream of the valve. The contributions of inertia and pressure gradient terms are dominant at the instance of pressure wave passage, leading to abrupt changes in the fluid flow parameters. However, the effects of inertia and viscous shear stress terms are significant after the pressure wave passage, resulting in the flow tendency to approach a new steady condition. The viscous and turbulent dissipations are dominant close to and away from the wall, respectively.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2018.1459892

Year: 2019