COMPUTATIONAL ANALYSIS OF BACKWARD-FACING STEP FLOW

Abstract

In this study, backward-facing step flow that are encountered in electronic systems cooling, heat exchanger design, and gas turbine cooling are investigated computationally. Steady, incompressible, and two-dimensional air flow is analyzed. Inlet velocity is assumed uniform and it is obtained from parabolic profile by using maximum velocity. In the analysis, the effects of channel expansion ratio and Reynolds number to reattachment length are investigated. In addition, pressure distribution throughout the channel length is also obtained and flow is analyzed for the Reynolds number values of 50 and 150 and channel expansion ratios of 1.5 and 2. Governing equations are solved by using Galerkin finite element mothod of ANSYS-FLOTRAN code. Obtained results are compared with the solutions of lattice BGK method that is relatively new method in fluid dynamics and other numerical and experimental results. It is concluded that reattachment length increases with increasing Reynolds number and at the same Reynolds number it decreases with increasing channel expansion ratio.

Keywords

• Nümerik akışkanlar dinamiği, Geri basamak, Laminer akış, Akış ayrılması