An Effective Approach for Calculation of Exhaust Pipe Flows

Abstract

AbstractIn this study an effective numerical approach is proposed for calculation of exhaust pipe flows. The flow inside an exhaust pipe is very complicated, since that flow involves pulsating hot gases with blast waves discharged from an internal combustion engine. In order to accurately simulate the complicated pulsating flow with the effects of heat transfer and friction at the duct wall, two systems of quasi-onedimensional model equations are employed, which resulted from the governing equations of the mass, momentum and energy conservation. One system of model equations with the terms of heat loss and wall friction results from the dimensionless governing equations based on dimensionless time variable t1 where t1 is defined as the dimensional time divided by the ratio of the pipe length to the time-average flow velocity at the pipe inlet. This system of model equations is numerically solved for a steady exhausted gas-flow without blast waves. The computed steady flow is referred as a basic flow. The other system of model equations without the terms of heat loss and wall friction results from the dimensionless governing equations based on dimensionless time variable t2, where t2 is defined as the dimensional time divided by the ratio of the pipe length to the speed of sound at the pipe inlet. The latter model is used for predicting exhausted gas-flows with blast waves. These two systems of model equations are solved by a th-order weighted essential non-oscillation scheme. It is found that the computed result of the peak pressures, temperature, and flow velocity at some check points for an exhaust pipe at different engine speeds agrees reasonably well with experimental data.