Toward an accurate approach for the prediction of the flow in a T-junction: URANS

Abstract

In this study, a CFD methodology is employed to address the problem of the prediction of the flow in a T-junction. An Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) approach has been selected for its low computational cost. Moreover, Unsteady Reynolds Navier-Stokes methodologies do not need complex boundary formulations for the inlet and the outlet such as those required when using Large Eddy Simulation (LES) or Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS). The results are compared with experimental data and an LES calculation. In the past, URANS has been tried on T-junctions with mixed results. The biggest limit observed was the underestimation of the oscillatory behavior of the temperature. In the present work, we propose a comprehensive approach able to correctly reproduce the root mean square (RMS) of the temperature directly downstream of the T-junction for cases where buoyancy is not present.