Navier-Stokes solutions for accelerating pipe flow—A review of analytical models

Abstract

This paper reviews analytical solutions for the accelerated flow of an incompressible Newtonian fluid in a pipeline. This problem can be solved in one of two ways according to the (1) imposed pressure gradient or (2) flow rate. Laminar accelerated flow solutions presented in a number of publications concern cases where the two driving mechanisms are described by simple mathematical functions: (a) impulsive change; (b) constant change; (c) ramp change, etc. The adoption of a more complex and realistic description of the pressure gradient or flow rate will be associated with a profound mathematical complexity of the final solution. This is particularly visible with the help of the universal formula derived by several researchers over the years and discussed in this paper. In addition to the solutions strictly defined for laminar flow, an interesting extension of this theory is the theory of underlying laminar flow for the analysis of turbulent accelerated pipe flows (TULF model developed by García García and Alvariño). The TULF model extends the Pai model developed more than 60 years ago, which has been previously used for steady flows only. The discussed solutions extend the theory of analytical solutions of simplified two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations and can be used not only to study the behavior of liquids during accelerating pipe flow but they can also be used to test the accuracy of commercial CFD codes.