Investigation of Conduit Flow Past Corrugated Structures Using Large Eddy Simulations

The present paper studies the characteristics of a fully turbulent flow of water through a conduit by use of corrugated structures. Methodologies including rough-ribbed walls and particle injection have been utilized for turbulence attenuation in the past. Screens and corrugations are yet another effective tools for reducing turbulence. The proposed investigation focuses on the application of square and hexagonal cross-sectional corrugations which are introduced in the flow for turbulence attenuation inside rectangular conduits. Large Eddy Simulations in three dimensions were performed with OpenFOAM using a pressure-implicit solver and the standard Smagorinsky subgrid-scale model. Dampening of the spanwise velocity component and a relative increase in streamwise velocity component downstream of the corrugation was observed. The power spectral densities (PSD) of the flow upstream and downstream of the corrugation were examined and compared. A significant decrease in turbulent flow power density was observed. Furthermore, characteristics including turbulence intensity contours and isosurfaces of the Q-criterion were visualized. The results conclusively indicate a subsequent decrease in the turbulent nature of flow past corrugated structures.