On Turbulent Flows Dominated by Curvature Effects

A technique for improving the numerical predictions of turbulent flows with the effect of streamline curvature is developed. Separated flows and the flow in a curved duct are examples of flow fields where streamline curvature plays a dominant role. New algebraic formulations for the eddy viscosity μ_t incorporating the k–ε turbulence model are proposed to account for various effects of streamline curvature. The loci of flow reversal (where axial velocities change signs) of the separated flows over various backward-facing steps are employed to test the capability of the proposed turbulence model in capturing the effect of local curvature. The inclusion of the effect of longitudinal curvature in the proposed turbulence model is validated by predicting the distributions of the longitudinal velocity and the static pressure in an S-bend duct and in 180 deg turn-around ducts. The numerical predictions of different curvature effects by the proposed turbulence models are also reported.