Title: Calculation of the development length of spanwise rotating three-dimensional laminar channel flow

Authors: Manoochehr Barimani; Mehran Khaki Jamei; Morteza Abbasi

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran

Abstract: The study aims to simulate Newtonian laminar fluid flow developments in a three-dimensional channel with a rotating frame of reference. The main objective is to investigate a correlation for calculating the entrance region length in a spanwise rotating channel. OpenFOAM was used to simulate Reynolds numbers (Re) ranging from 10 to 80, angular velocity (ω) ranging from 0 to 0.5, and three distinct channel aspect ratios (AR). The length of the entrance region is calculated as a function of Re, AR, and D̅_h (dimensionless hydraulic diameter). We conclude that increasing ω results in an increase in entrance region length, which increases threefold for a constant Reynolds number when ω increases from 0 to 0.5. As Re is increased for a given value of ω, the entrance region length is increased by 15 to 35%. Moreover, when 0 ≤ ω ≤ 0.5 varies and 10 ≤ Re ≤ 80, the pressure drops ranges from 25 to 40%.

Keywords: angular velocity; coriolis; entrance region; OpenFOAM; rotating channel.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2023.131026

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2023 Vol.23 No.3, pp.170 - 182

Received: 25 Oct 2021
Accepted: 19 Mar 2022
Published online: 19 May 2023 *

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