Author(s): Stefania Piazza; Zhangjie Peng; Frederick C. Sonnenwald; Jesus Leonardo Corredor Garcia; Rosario La Cognata; Gabriele Freni; Ian Guymer
Linked Author(s): Gabriele Freni, Ian Guymer
Keywords: ANSYS Fluent; Laminar flow; Mass transport; Tracers; Numerical validation; T-junction
Abstract: The aim of this study is to numerically analyze the flow partitioning in a T-junction of pipes (≈50 mm in diameter) under laminar and transient flow conditions, in order to validate the experimental results of the Kore laboratory. A three-dimensional CFD model was developed in ANSYS Fluent, solving the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations and the convective–diffusive transport of a tracer species (Rhodamine6G). The geometry and boundary conditions reproduce the experimental setup (pipe diameters, flow rates in the branches, tracer injection). The numerical results yield two-dimensional concentration maps at the cross-sections, from which the integrated mean concentrations of each branch and the corresponding time series are derived. The simulations qualitatively show the same differential distribution of the tracer as observed experimentally: in the laminar regime, the branch with the highest flow rate captures the central tracer “peak” early, while lateral sampling on the wall mainly records the pulse tail. The qualitative comparison between the concentrations obtained by area-weighted integration and the lateral point concentrations confirms the trends revealed in the experiment. Quantitative validation of the experimental data with numerical results will be completed in a subsequent phase.
Year: 2026