Numerical Computation of Turbulent Flow in a Square-Sectioned 90° Bend Using Open Foam

This study presents the results of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations using the open-source software OpenFOAM to evaluate the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes steady (RANS) by reproducing the fluid flow in a 90° square-section curved pipe. The simulations were carried out using three turbulence models: the standard k-ε model, the RNG k-ε model and SST k-ω model. The results were compared to previously published experimental results. The objective was to investigate the performance of RANS models in turbulent flow in a curved pipe with a 90° square section at a Reynolds number of 40000. The velocity distribution and pressure drop across the entire computational domain were analyzed, with particular attention to regions within and after the bend where secondary vortex structures were illustrated. Flows at the elbow are characterized by the presence of counter-rotating cells responsible for disrupting the flow. Analysis of the numerical results obtained from all turbulence models found good agreement with the experimental data, but there are differences between the models.