Destabilization of Laminar Wall Jet Flow and Relaminarization of the Turbulent Confined Jet Flow in Axially Rotating Circular Pipe

Abstract

Destabilization and relaminarization phenomena have been investigated in an axially rotating circular duct. Standard k-ε model with modification for streamline curvature has been used in the numerical study. The laminar and turbulent velocity distributions at inlet have been observed to become turbulent and laminar, respectively, toward the exit of the pipe. A local velocity profile with parabolic or nearly uniform variation has been considered as the characteristic of laminarlike or turbulent flow, respectively, and changeover of flow from former to the later variation or vice versa has been taken to characterize destabilization and relaminarization, respectively. The predicted azimuthal velocity component was found to be reasonably accurate near the wall and not so encouraging in the core region of the swirling flow. The recirculation bubble generated by a central jet flow at the wall has been observed to reduce in size due to rotation of the pipe confirming the relaminarization phenomenon, whereas with laminar wall jet waspredicted recirculation bubble growing with rotation rate manifesting the destabilization effects.