The mechanism of asymmetric pipe-wall thinning behind an orifice by combined effect of swirling flow and orifice bias

In this paper, the mechanism of asymmetric pipe-wall thinning caused by flow accelerated corrosion behind an orifice in a circular pipe is studied by measuring the velocity fields by PIV and the mass transfer coefficients by naphthalene sublimation method. An attention is placed on the variations of the velocity fields and mass flux under the combined effect of swirling flow and orifice bias. The present measurement indicates that the flow field become asymmetric about the pipe axis due to the influence of swirling flow at large swirl intensity S = 0.3 in combination with an allowable orifice bias as small as 0.8% of a pipe diameter of standard steel pipes. This flow phenomenon results in the asymmetric distribution of mass transfer coefficient along the pipe-wall behind the orifice. The position of enhanced mass transfer occurs on the shorter orifice side near the orifice due to the flow reattachment, while the flow on the longer orifice side remains the same distribution of mass transfer coefficient as the case without swirl. These variations of velocity field and mass transfer data suggest that the mechanism of asymmetric pipe-wall thinning behind the orifice is due to the combined effect of swirling flow and orifice bias.

► The mechanism of asymmetric pipe-wall thinning is clarified.
► Flow fields and pipe-wall thinning are evaluated experimentally for orifice flow.
► We demonstrate combined effects of swirling flows and orifice biases on flows.
► Strong swirling flows and orifice biases cause an asymmetric pipe-wall thinning.