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TECHNICAL PAPERS

Theoretical Analysis on the Secondary Flow in a Rotating Helical Pipe With an Elliptical Cross Section

[+] Author and Article Information
Yitung Chen1

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154

Huajun Chen, Hsuan-Tsung Hsieh

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154

Jinsuo Zhang

Nuclear Design and Risk Analysis, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545

1

Corresponding author. E-mail: uuchen@nscee.edu

J. Fluids Eng 128(2), 258-265 (Sep 21, 2005) (8 pages) doi:10.1115/1.2169818 History: Received October 13, 2004; Revised September 21, 2005

Abstract

In the present study, the flow in a rotating helical pipe with an elliptical cross section is considered. The axes of the elliptical cross section are in arbitrary directions. Using the perturbation method, the Navier-Stokes equations in a rotating helical coordinate system are solved. The combined effects of rotation, torsion, and geometry on the characteristics of secondary flow and fluid particle trajectory are discussed. Some new and interesting conclusions are obtained, such as how the number of secondary flow cells and the secondary flow intensity depends on the ratio of the Coroilis force to the centrifugal force. The results show that the increase of torsion has the tendency to transfer the structure of secondary flow into a saddle flow, and that the incline angle $α$ increases or decreases the secondary flow intensity depending on the resultant force between the Corilois force and centrifugal force.

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Figures

Figure 1

Rotating helical elliptical pipe and the coordinate system

Figure 2

Vector plots of the secondary flow for α=π∕3 and various values of F and η∕R (the outer bend is to the left)

Figure 3

Vector plots of the secondary flow for η∕R=0.01 and various values of F and α (the outer bend is to the left)

Figure 4

Variations of Umax with F for different α(η∕R=0.001)

Figure 5

Variations of Umax with η∕R for different F(α=π∕3)

Figure 7

Variations of ψ contours with η∕Re for different F(α=π∕3) (right side: outer bend; left side: inner bend)

Figure 8

Variations of ψ contours with α for different F(η∕R=0.001) (right side: outer bend; left side: inner bend)

Figure 6

Variations of Umax with α for different F(η∕R=0.001)

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