Exploration of Half-Cycle Length of Converging Circular Wavy Duct with Diverging-Outlet: Turbulent Water Dynamics

Abstract

The dynamics of water-liquid flow through aluminum circular pipes are examined to investigate the effects of half-cycle length in converging wavy ducts with diverging outlets. This study provides insights into flow control, energy efficiency, enhanced heat transfer, and turbulence management, all of which have significant industrial applications. The SpaceClaim-generated duct designs have 40 mm major inlet diameters and 10 mm minor inlets on either side, with an output diverging to 10 mm. The Shear Stress Transport (SST) k-$\omega$ model in ANSYS Fluent 2024R2 is used for better management of pressure gradients and precise prediction of boundary layer behavior. Meshing and simulation followed a strict methodology, assuring precision and dependability. It is worth noting that increasing the number of sinusoidal half-cycles increases turbulence, which raises the Reynolds number and enhances the cooling effect. Longer wavy ducts are shown to increase flow acceleration, resulting in greater output velocities and more turbulent kinetic energy production. Turbulent viscosity in a 2.5-period sinusoidal wavy duct rises dramatically with inflow velocity and temperature. A 12.5-period sinusoidal wavy duct is substantially more turbulent viscosity than a 2.5-period duct. These findings have important implications for applications that require improved heat dissipation and flow control, including heat exchanger design and thermal management systems.