Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 April 2006
An analytical study is made of a flow with swirling motion through a bend in a pipe with circular cross-section. The intensity of the swirl and the axial velocity distribution may change along a curved path according to the conservation law of angular momentum that is the basic principle used in this analysis. The analysis deals with the variation of angular-momentum flux components of the flow along the pipe. Approximate inviscid solutions indicate that, depending on the inlet conditions of the flow and the configuration of the bend, different types of swirling motion appear in the bend. The sign of a constant C appearing in the analysis is a governing parameter determining the flow type. Comparisons are made with the experimental results of other investigators. Finally, examples of swirling motion appearing in a real curved duct are discussed.