Area Change

The Area Change junction type must always have two connecting pipes. This junction type allows you to model the irrecoverable loss that occurs at the area transition between two pipes, whether expansion or contraction.

The Area Change Properties window follows the first of the two basic Properties window formats, displaying the connecting pipes in a fixed format. A flow direction through the junction is adopted from the defined directions of the two connecting pipes.

The Area Change Properties window offers two standard types of area change losses: the Conical Transition and the Abrupt Transition.

The critical parameter that influences the magnitude of the area change loss is the area ratio between upstream and downstream pipes. Until you have input the information for the upstream and downstream pipes that allow for flow area determination, the standard Area Change junction loss factor is not calculated. For conical transition geometries, you also need to specify the conical angle. This angle has a range of 0-180 degrees, with a 0 degree angle representing a transition taking place over an infinitely long length, and a 180 degree angle representing an abrupt transition.

If the standard loss factors provided are inadequate for your application, you may specify your own custom loss factor referenced to the base area you specify.

Note:It is possible to have a vena contracta through a physical area change. If high velocities are possible, the Mach number may reach sonic conditions and the flow will choke. The optional CdA input parameter is intended to represent this vena contracta. The minimum possible sonic flow area is entered as the CdA and if sonic conditions are reached, AFT Arrow will solve the system on achoked flow basis.