On the low-Reynolds-number flow in a helical pipe

Abstract

A non-orthogonal helical co-ordinate system is introduced to study the effect of curvature and torsion on the flow in a helical pipe. It is found that both curvature and torsion induce non-negligible effects when the Reynolds number is less than about 40. When the Reynolds number is of order unity, torsion induces a secondary flow consisting of one single recirculating cell while curvature causes an increased flow rate. These effects are quite different from the two recirculating cells and decreased flow rate at high Reynolds numbers.