The flow downstream of a bifurcation of a flow channel for uniform flow distribution via cascade flow channel bifurcations

• Fundamental issues for uniform flow distribution are addressed.
• Uniform flow distribution is via cascade bifurcation of flow channels.
• Show effect of dimensions of bifurcation zone to downstream velocity profiles.
• Show good designs of bifurcation zone for obtaining symmetric velocity profiles.

Uniform flow distribution is an important and fundamental issue to miscellaneous devices. The present work studied the details of flow in a channel with a fundamental structure—a symmetric bifurcation of one flow channel into two sub-channels. The structure is designated to split one flow into two streams of even flow rate. Key geometric design factors of the flow channel are investigated regarding the effect to the development of a symmetric velocity profile after the flow channel bifurcation, as the symmetric velocity profile is critical to the even split of the flow into two streams in the next stage of flow channel bifurcation. The study is based on both two-dimensional and three-dimensional CFD analyses. Both laminar and turbulent flows are investigated. Commercial CFD software ANSYS FLUENT® was used. The numerical treatment of convection terms in governing equations was based on the QUICK scheme, and the SIMPLE algorithm was used to treat the coupling of pressure and velocity fields. The obtained results are of great significance to the design of flow distributors using cascade flow channel bifurcations.