CFD Modeling and evaluation of a bi-stable micro-diverter valve

Micro-diverter valves are innovative and efficient devices used to generate microbubbles that can significantly enhance process efficiency in industry. Micro-diverter valves have been experimentally tested and modeled using CFD in previous works. However, a detailed CFD modeling evaluation of these valves has not been performed employing detailed turbulence modeling at transient and steady state. This article presents a three-dimensional CFD simulation and performance evaluation of a bi-stable diverted valve for microbubble generation. In the model, transient and steady state approaches were used to quantify the behavior in the valve. The κ – ε standard and κ – ε RNG turbulence models were used and compared. Different mesh configurations, mesh generation methods, and both turbulence models were evaluated to find the best set-up to simulate this valve. A brief analysis of the time-step size using the Courant number approach was also performed. Operation conditions at low Reynolds (3800) and high frequency (200 Hz) were used to assess possible industrial applications, thus setting the base for further studies. The results of this work show that at low Reynolds numbers and high frequencies, the valve is able to divert the fluid and thus it may have wider industrial applications.