Numerical Simulation of 3D Flow Field and Flow-Induced Noise Characteristics in a T-Shaped Reducing Tee Junction

The so-called T-shaped reducing tees are typically used to divide, change and control (to a certain extent) the flow direction in pipe networks. In this study, the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings (FW-H) equation and the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) methods are used to simulate the flow-induced noise related to T-shaped reducing tees under different inlet flow velocities and for different pipe diameter ratios. The results show that the maximum flow velo-city, average flow velocity, and vorticity in the branch pipe increase gradually as the related diameter decreases. Strong vorticity and secondary flows are also observed in the branch pipe, and the associated violent pressure fluctuations are found to be the main sources of flow-induced noise. In particular, as the pipe diameter ratio decreases from 1 to 0.45, the Total Sound Pressure Level (TSPL) increases by 6.8, 6.26, and 7.43 dB for values of the inlet flow velocity of 1, 2, and 3 m/s, respectively. The distribution characteristics of the flow-induced noise in the frequency domain follow similar trends for different pipe diameter ratios.