Flow in a Tube With a Circumferential Wall Cavity

Abstract

Streamlines, velocity profiles, and wall shear stress profiles are presented for a numerical solution of the Navier-Stokes equations for steady flow through a tube (radius = 1) with a circumferential wall cavity (depth = 1.33, length = 1.33). For tube Reynolds numbers equal to 0, 50, and 200, the numerical calculations show that a region of separated flow with closed streamlines exists in the cavity and that the attachment points for the separating streamline are located along the cavity wall. An assessment is made of the dependence of the numerical results on mesh size and the type of vorticity boundary condition applied at the protruding corners.