Numerical investigation of fluid flow in a T-shaped lid-driven cavity by CFD

Abstract

The present research aims at providing a numerical fluid flow prediction of the less explored T-shaped lid-driven cavity problem. It is solved two ways, first using a finite-difference-method-based vorticity-stream function formulation that is applied to the two-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations and then by using the SIMPLE algorithm implemented in the finite-volume-method-based OpenFOAM system. Firstly, a numerical in-house code is developed for a classical lid-driven square cavity problem, and successively verified by comparing it with results from the literature. Once the code's credibility is established, the fluid flow characteristics are thoroughly investigated considering three different wall motions: single-sided, double-sided with co-directional wall motion, and double-sided with counter-directional motion. The investigation also focuses on how the fluid flow characteristics are influenced by both the Reynolds number of the flow and the aspect ratio of the domain. Through numerical simulations, the centerline velocity profiles are plotted, and also the structure and formation of vortices in a T-shaped cavity are compared between both finite difference and finite volume schemes. As the Reynolds number of the domain rises, many recirculation zones are formed, the fluid is shown to flow faster in the wall-driven enclosures. As the aspect ratio increases the strength of the vortices diminishes at the walls of the computational domain.