Turbulence modeling for two-dimensional water hammer simulations in the low Reynolds number range

Modeling turbulence in two-dimensional water hammer simulations is considered in the present study. The Baldwin–Lomax turbulence model is implemented, both in quasi-steady and frozen forms. Numerical simulations using both forms agree well with experimental data for lower Reynolds numbers (Re = 5600) and the attenuation of the transient is adequately captured. However, for higher Reynolds numbers (Re = 15,800), the frozen form overpredicts the attenuation of the transient. Moreover, it is shown that switching the turbulence model off altogether and applying a quasi-laminar approximation results in good agreement with experimental data for the lower Reynolds number case (Re = 5600) while underpredicting the attenuation of the transient for the higher Reynolds number case (Re = 15,800).