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M.Sc. Civil Engineering Student, International Campus of University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Chabahar, Iran
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sistan & Baluchestan,
Zahedan, Iran
3
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sistan & Baluchestan,
Zahedan, Iran
2
Abstract: In this paper, the ball valve performance was numerically simulated using an unstructured CFD code
based on finite volume method. Navier-Stokes equations in addition to a transport equation for the vapor volume
fraction were coupled in the RANS solver. Separation was modeled very well with a modification of turbulent
viscosity. In this paper, the results of CFD calculations of flow through a ball valve based on the concept of Chern &
Wang [8] experimental data are described and analyzed. Comparison of flow pattern at several opening angles was
investigated. Pressure drop behind of the ball valve and formation of vortex flow after the valve section have been
discussed. As the opening of the valve decreases, these vortices grow and may cause more pressure drop. In other
words, more energy is lost due to these growing vortices. In general, the valve opening plays very important roles to
the performance of a ball valve.
[Nima Tavakoli Shirazi, Gholam Reza Azizyan, Gholam Hossein Akbari. CFD analysis of the ball valve
performance in presence of cavitation. Life Sci J 2012;9(4):1460-1467] (ISSN:1097-8135).
http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 223
Keywords: Ball Valve, CFD Code, Finite Volume, RANS, Cavitation, Performance
the blunt body. In addition, Kelso et al. [5] also
measured the surface pressure distribution and
investigated the balance between the pressure
distribution and Reynolds shear stress along the
separation streamline and the surface behind a
surface-mounted blunt plate. Mertai et al. [6]
constituted a water tunnel system to survey the
performance test of a V-sector ball valve. They used
an LDV measuring system to explore the flow filed
in ball valves. Davis and Stewart [7] employed a
closed piping system to test and behold a global
control valve flow. Chern & Wang [8] utilized
particles and a laser sheet to visualize flow patterns
through a ball valve. Cavitation phenomena were
observed at some valve openings. If the flow
structure in a ball valve is available, it would help
engineers to improve the performance of ball valves.
It is now possible to observe the Structures of
vortices especially the cavitation phenomenon inside
a ball valve by computational analysis.
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become an
important instrument for design of fluid machinery. It
has also been applied to valve research. Therefore the
designing valves can be done much faster. CFD
analysis can show the complex flow structure at the
valve. Mertai et al. [9] used a commercial package,
FLUENT, to survey the flow at a V-sector ball valve.
Van Lookeren Campagne et al. [10] also adopted a
commercial package, AVL-Fire TM, to simulate
flows containing bubbles in ball valves. In this study,
Introduction
The ball valves are rotary valves can be
utilized as control valves or block valves in a system
or a process. They generally rotate 90 degree to block
the flow. Ball valves have low-pressure drop, good
flow capabilities, and good temperature and pressure
ratings. The ball valve has low cost, compact, and
easy to fix. So it is the best instrument for on-off
service and can be used for throttling service. The
selection of their size, design and material plays an
important role in reliability and performance of any
system. Advanced technology is required to
manufacture ball valve. Therefore, it is vital to know
the characteristics of fluid flows inside a ball valve.
Cavitation is a destructive phenomenon in
hydraulic components and systems. It not only
destroys the flow continuity and changes the physical
performance, but also in many cases, it results
undesirable effects such as intensive noise, vibration
and erosion of the solid surfaces. Severe cavitation
damage can limit the life expectancy of the valve. So
it is very important to know in which conditions the
severe cavitation may appear.
More experimental researches about the
cavitation phenomenon were performed in ball valves
Work .Hutchison [1], Kirik and Driskell [2] and
Pearson [3] supplied useful information on the design
of ball valves. Ota and Itasaka [4] investigated the
surface pressure distribution behind a blunt body to
understand the structure of the recirculation behind
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m . mV m m
t
single-fluid mixture model is applied. The vaporliquid flow defined by a single-fluid model is treated
as a homogeneous bubble-liquid mixture. Thus, one
set of equations is needed to simulate cavitating
flows. To deal with turbulent flows, the Reynolds
averaged approach is utilized to decompose mean
quantities and fluctuations for all of the physical
variables. In this work, only the case of two phase
flow is considered to investigate the cavitation
phenomenon in the ball valve, and there is no relative
or slip velocity between the two phases, so the flow is
homogeneous. Therefore, 3-D governing equations
can be denoted as:
n
mV m . mV mV m P . m V m V m m g F . k k V dr ,k V dr ,k
t
k 1
mt
mC k 2
k 1
and V
dr , k
V dr , k V k V m
m k .k
m k k
n
k 1
n
k 1
p p . p pV m . p pV dr , p
m
t
m u j k
x j
mu j
x j
p t m
x j
mt k
m
k x j
pt C 2 m
2
k
x j
Turbulence Modeling
Reynolds stress due to velocity fluctuations.
Because of the unknown Reynolds stress, more
equations are required to close the RANS equations.
Hence, a turbulence model is required to simulate the
Reynolds stress in turbulent flows. So, the author
m k
mt
m
k x j
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u i
pt ij
x j
ij u iu j
u iu j
2k ij
3
u
u j
t i
x
j x i
Results
Figure 3. Illustrates the velocity contours
and the path-line flow pattern on the middle surface
at six different opening degrees. It can be found that
as the valve opening decrease, the number and the
region of vortex increase . Three vortices can be
observed in the flow field when the valve is not fully
open. Two vortices are inside the ball valve, the other
one is behind the exit of the ball valve. The one that
is outside is larger than the two inside the valve. The
Geometry
Figure
3
demonstrates
the
3-D
computational mesh utilized in the numerical
simulation. The entrance length from the upstream
boundary to the valve is 20D. The downstream length
from the valve to the outlet boundary is 60D. The
diameter of the pipe, D, is 38 mm and is used as the
characteristic length of Reynolds number. The test
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Fig.3. Velocity contours and streamlines at Ui=5 at different opening angle (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50).
Fig. 4. Shows the static pressure distribution
in plan (z=0) of the ball valve. In these plots, the area
of reduced pressure and its extent have been clearly
illustrated. It can be seen that there is a so-called
cavitation region where the static pressure is
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Fig.4. Static pressure (gage) distribution in plane Z=0, Ui=5 at different opening angle (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50)
value of vapor volume fraction gets higher and the
cavitation region enlarges behind of valve with the
closing ball valve from 40 deg to 50 deg. So the
cavitation region extends.
Volume fraction
Figure. 5. Presents the distribution of the
vapor volume fraction during the closing process of
ball valve. From these figures, it can be found that the
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P
1
U i2
2
Cv
q
0.865Fp
G
P
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Calculation
Flow regime in the conventional ball valve
was analysed. The comparison of computational and
experimental results is given. The current numerical
calculations of flow through the ball valve get results
that agree well with the experimental results, implies
that the computations can predict well flow
characteristics of other types of valves with different
geometries. The code offers large possibilities of 3D
modelling of incompressible viscous flows through
valve channels of complex geometry.
According to the pressure and velocity distribution
plots, cavitation region with high mass fractions is in
recirculation area of low pressure region of valve.
The recirculation zone behind the ball valve
dominates the pressure drop. Energy is dissipated in
this region. Hence, the larger the recirculation length
is, the more the pressure drop. It is clear that the
recirculation length gets increased as the valve
opening gets decreased.
The inception of cavitation can be predicted
using the cavitation index, Ccs, which is also
determined by the pressure data. Cavitation can
create excessive leakage, distort flow characteristics,
or cause the eventual failure of the valve body and
piping. In some severe high-pressure drop
applications, cavitation can destroy valve parts within
minutes. The critical conditions of inception of
cavitation can be found in the figures. Modify the
system is one of basic actions can control or
eliminate cavitation. A designer of valve can find the
critical values of inception of cavitation at various
ReD and valve openings in the figures. The region
above curves in the figure refers to the appearance of
severe cavitation and should be avoided. The same
numerical approach can be applied to other control
valves to determine their performance and to observe
cavitation phenomena.
C cs
P
Pin Pv
Pv refers to the saturated vapor pressure
2339 Pa at 20C.
Figure .8. Demonstrates the variation of
cavitation index, Ccs, with respect to the valve
opening in the fluid flow.
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References:
[1] J.W. Hutchison, ISA Handbook of Control
Valves, second ed., Instrument Society of
America, Pittsburgh, 1976.
[2] M.J. Kirik, L.R. Driskell, Flow Manual for
Quarter-Turn Valves, Rockwell International
Co., 1986.
[3] G.H. Pearson, Valve Design, Mechanical
Engineering Publication, London, 1978.
[4] T. Ota, M. Itasaka, A separated and reattached
flow on a blunt flat plate, Journal of Fluids
Engineering 98 (1) (1976) 7986.
[5] R.M. Kelso, T.T. Lim, A.E. Perry, The effect of
forcing on the timeaveraging structure of the
flow past a surface-mounted bluff plate, Journal
of
Wind
Engineering
and
Industrial
Aerodynamics 49 (13, Part 1) (1993) 217226.
[6] Merati, P., Macelt, M. J., and Erickson, R. B.,
2001, Flow Investigation Around a V Sector
Ball Valve. J. Fluids Eng., 123, pp. 662671.
[7] Davis, J. A., Stewart, M., 2002, Predicting
Globe Control Valve Performance-Part II:
10/9/2012
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