Prediction of thermal stratification in a u-bent pipe: A URANS validation

In the present study, CFD is employed to investigate phenomena occurring during a process of thermal stratification in U-bent pipes at transitional Reynolds number. URANS evaluation had been chosen for its low computational costs during transient analysis and for the evaluation of modeling performance in these conditions. Application of CFD at transitional Reynolds number and buoyancy driven flows indeed contains deeper uncertainties in relation to the range of applicability for hydrodynamic and thermal models. The methodology applied in the work points out, through validations with the basic problems constituting the complex stratified phenomenon, the applicability of the current turbulence modeling. Accurate predictions have been found in relation to transitional Reynolds number in bent pipes and region of stability induced by the gravitational field. On the other hand the defects introduced in the unstable region of the U bent pipe, are discussed in relation to the adopted modeling.