An alternative approach to quantifying fluid flow uniformity based on area-weighted average velocity and mass-weighted average velocity

• Published in: Energy and buildings Vol. 45; pp. 116 - 123
• Main Authors: Tao, Hong-Ge, Chen, Huan-Xin, Xie, Jun-Long, Hu, Yun-Peng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 01.02.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Area-weighted average velocity; Building technical equipments; Buildings; Buildings. Public works; Computational methods in fluid dynamics; Environmental engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Flow uniformity; Fluid dynamics; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Ground, air and sea transportation, marine construction; Mass-weighted average velocity; Numerical simulation; Physics; Railway transportation and traffic; Ventilation. Air conditioning; China; Area-weighted average velocity; Flow uniformity; Numerical simulation; Mass-weighted average velocity; Air conditioning; Averaging method; Pipe flow; Computational fluid dynamics; Digital simulation; Velocity distribution; Subways; Uniform flow; Modelling
• ISSN: 0378-7788
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2011.10.056

► Now flow uniformity of various cases is usually studied by numerical simulation. ► We proposed an alternative approach to quantifying flow uniformity. ► The approach can directly use simulation results to quantify it in a simple manner. ► The approach was compared with two existing formulae based on two type of data. ► The approach may be used in a wide range of contexts with request for uniformity. Fluid flow uniformity is an important index in many research fields including artificial environment in the room. In order to facilitate quantifying the multi-section flow uniformity directly by simulation results and to simplify the computation process, a correlation based on area-weighted average velocities and mass-weighted average velocities is proposed in this paper. To test the proposed approach to quantifying flow uniformity, the correlation is applied in two studies – one based on assumed velocity distribution, another based on the simulated velocity distribution – in comparison with two existing formulae from prior studies. The results show that the evaluation results of the proposed correlation are in complete agreement with that of the two formulae from prior studies in the overall trend. The correlation may be used in a wide range of contexts without strict requirement for uniformity to quantify the fluid uniformity in a relatively simple manner.