Numerical, experimental and analytical studies on fluid flow through a Marsh funnel

Abstract

This paper presents the application of computational fluid dynamics technique in civil and underground industries to evaluate fluid behaviour in a Marsh funnel. The numerical approach, based on computational fluid dynamics, simulated an incompressible two-phase Newtonian flow by means of the Volume-of-Fluid method. A complementary analytical proposed which provided a quick, field-ready method to assess the fluid field in the Marsh funnel. A supplemental experimental effort evaluated the results obtained from both the analytical calculation and numerical simulation. Results showed that the application of computational fluid dynamics technique gives the desired results in studying fluid flows in civil and underground industries. Proposed analytical solution is also capable of accurately predicting the fluid flow and thus can complement the experimental and numerical approaches. Further, the proposed analytical approach can be an alternative method for faster evaluation of fluid, although it needs to be calibrated with either the numerical or the experimental studies.