Study on the effect of alumina nano-fluid on sharp-edge orifice flow characteristics in both cavitations and non-cavitations turbulent flow regimes

In the present study, the effects of alumina nano-fluid concentration on sharp-edge orifice flow characteristics in both cavitations and non-cavitations turbulent flow regimes are numerically investigated. At different concentration of AL2O3 nonmetallic particles (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10%) volume fractions in pure liquid water as a base fluid. A single-hole orifice pipe is with a small diameter ratio 0.297 and the orifice plate thickness 14 mm. The effects of alumina nano-fluid concentration on sharp-edge orifice flow characteristics have been investigated based on the turbulent kinetic energy, turbulent intensity, turbulent viscosity, and volume fraction of vapor. The results show that for increasing the nonmetallic particle volume fraction from 0.0 to 10%, the turbulent kinetic energy decreases by 20.87% in average downstream the orifice in the whole region, the turbulent intensity decreases by 11.11% in average downstream the orifice in the whole region, the turbulent intensity decreases by 11% in average in the whole region, and the volume fraction of vapor increases by 16.9%. Also, in the separation region downstream the orifice the turbulent kinetic energy increases by 160% in average and the turbulent intensity increases by 74% in average for increasing the nano-fluid concentration from 0.0% to 2%. These are mainly because for using the alumina nano-fluid the separation phenomena decrease due to the increase of the viscosity of the nano-fluid, the total losses in the sharp-edge orifice increase for the increase of the viscosity of the nano-fluid and this causes the increase of the rate of vaporization. In the orifice pipe the total-stress criterion predicts larger cavitating regions in the flow field. However using the nano-fluid with high concentration accelerates the cavitations at the orifice pipe.