Application of an Angular Momentum Balance Method for Investigating Numerical Accuracy in Swirling Flow

Abstract

This work derives and applies a method for the investigation of numerical accuracy in computational fluid dynamics. The method is used to investigate discretization errors in computations of swirling flow in water turbines. The work focuses on the conservation of a subset of the angular momentum equations that is particularly important to swirling flow in water turbines. The method is based on the fact that the discretized angular momentum equations are not necessarily conserved when the discretized linear momentum equations are solved. However, the method can be used to investigate the effect of discretization on any equation that should be conserved in the correct solution, and the application is not limited to water turbines. Computations made for two Kaplan water turbine runners and a simplified geometry of one of the Kaplan runner ducts are investigated to highlight the general and simple applicability of the method.