Simulation of flow through a pipe using solidworks

Run a pipe flow simulation in solidworks with an inlet Reynolds number of 100,1000 and 10,000.

For each of these cases do the following

1. Place line probes at 95%, 90% and 85% of the pipe length.

2. Compare the normalized velocity profile at each of these locations

3. Normalize the velocity profile by the inlet velocity.

Aim:

To stimulate the flow of water in a pipe at various reynolds number conditions and to provide output such as cutplot along the axis, velocity graphs obtained at line probes located at 95%, 90% and 85% of length of the pipe using the solidworks flow simulation.

Introduction:

We need to stimulate the flow of water in a pipe having reynolds number 100, 1000, 10000.

In our case let us consider the following:

outer diameter of the pipe: 0.040m

inner diameter of the pipe: 0.039m

length of the pipe: 1 m

density of the fluid flowing through the pipe : 1000 kg/m^3

viscosity of the fluid flowing through the pipe: 8.90*10^-4 pa s^-1

if Re = 100; then v = 0.0022820513m/s

if Re = 1000; then v = 0.022820513m/s

if Re = 10000; then v = 0.22820513m/s

Theoritical explanation:

Velocity water flow will be depends of various factors such as length of the pipe, distance of measuring point from the inlet, bends, obstacles in the path of flow,etc Usually the flow of water will be greater in the middle centre region of the pipe and it is found smaller in the wall. Based ont eh reynolds number the type of flow is determined. If the reynolds number value is less than 2000 it is laminar flow and greater than 4000 the flow is turbulent.

In our case, there is no bends and obstacle in the path of flow, hence the velocity of flow will be uniform on all the measuring points.

All the parts are modeled and the flow simulation is carried out using the solidworks.

Stimulation:

Case i:

Re = 100

the flow is laminar

The cutplots are as follow:

The inlet of the pipe is having the coordinate system, Where the end having the line probes is outlet.

Velocity plot at line probe place 95% of the length,

Velocity plot at line probe place 90% of the length,

Velocity plot at line probe place 85% of the length,

caseii:

Re = 1000

the flow is laminar

The cutplots obtained are:

Velocity plot at line probe place 95% of the length,

Velocity plot at line probe place 90% of the length,

Velocity plot at line probe place 85% of the length,

caseiii:

Re =10000

The flow is turbulent

Experimental setup:

• Perform calculations to find the velocity for the various reynolds number
• Draw the pipe with proper dimension and aslo draw line probes at 0.95m, 0.90m, 0.85m from the flow inlet end.
• Create new project with default settings.
• Make sure that the flow is marked as internal.
• Create the boundary condtions
• Create the global mesh
• Provide data input as first velocity
• Create cutplots along the desired axis
• create required plots
• click run to perform the simulation.
• Now load the desired plots.
• change the intial velocity values.
• Peform simualtion and note the plots
• Finally change the input velcotiy (turbulent)
• Perform the simulation adn not the plots

Observations:

It is clear from the cutplots the velocity of flow is greater in turbulent flow across the pipe than the laminar flow. In laminar flows the flow with Re1000 is having greater velocity than Re100. In turbulent flow the walls of pipe having much greater velocity where in laminar flow the velocity is lesser near the walls.