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Fluids
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Pipe Flow: Research and Applications, 2nd Edition
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Pipe Flow: Research and Applications, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Fluids (ISSN 2311-5521). This special issue belongs to the section "Mathematical and Computational Fluid Mechanics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 8180

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Leonardo Di G. Sigalotti

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Guest Editor
Department of Basic Sciences, Metropolitan Autonomous University-Azcapotzalco (UAM-A), Av. San Pablo 420, Colonia Nueva el Rosario, Azcapotzalco City Hall, Mexico City 02128, Mexico
Interests: computational fluid dynamics; numerical astrophysics; numerical analysis; error analysis and consistency of particle methods; heat and mass transfer; multiphase and multicomponent flows
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Carlos Enrique Alvarado-Rodríguez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. National Council of Science and Technology, Av. Insurgentes Sur 1582, Builder Credit, Mexico City 03940, Mexico
2. Department of Chemical Engineering, DCNE, University of Guanajuato, Noria Alta S/N, Guanajuato 3605, Mexico
Interests: computational fluid dynamics; smoothed particle hydrodynamics; software development; multicomponent and multiphase flows; heat and mass transfer; flow in porous media; microbial kinetics simulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The flow of fluids through pipes is an engineering problem of long-standing practical importance, with applications ranging from household water and gas supply to sewage flows to the transportation of chemicals and petroleum in the chemical and oil industries. It is also currently used in numerous heating and cooling applications.
The first scientific studies on pipe flow began to appear in 1839, when Hagen and then Poiseuille performed the first experiments on water flow through straight pipes of various sizes to determine pressure losses. Later on, Reynolds, in 1883, observed that the transition from Hagen–Poiseuille (i.e., laminar) to turbulent flow in pipes occurs above a certain critical value, known today as the critical Reynolds number. Since then, pipe flow has received particular interest as a gateway to turbulence, not only at high Reynolds numbers in straight pipes but also at relatively slower flows through pipe elbows, bends, and restrictors.

While experimental work on pipe flow has continued until the present day, from the beginning of this century, there has been renewed interest in the investigation of pipe flow due to the emergence of ever more sophisticated numerical techniques and increased computational facilities. Many numerical flow models exist in the literature that have improved our knowledge of what happens inside a pipe for both single and multiphase flows. Numerical work has become of great importance not only to interpret experimental data but also to predict, under certain conditions, the resulting flow pattern. This aspect has been particularly important for complex multiphase flows where transitions to one or more flow patterns may occur. Topics of interest for this Special Issue include the following: biofluid dynamics involving the study of the motion of biological fluids, as blood flow in arteries and respiratory airflow, non-Newtonian pipe flows and applications to microfluidic devices, spiral and helical coil tube heat exchangers for cooling and heating applications, ventilation and air conditioning, among other problems and applications. This Special Issue, entitled “Pipe Flow: Research and Applications”, is devoted to collating recent advances in experiments and numerical simulations of fluid flow in pipes of different cross-sectional shapes as well as geometries.

Prof. Dr. Leonardo Di G. Sigalotti
Dr. Carlos Enrique Alvarado-Rodríguez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fluids is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pipe flow
  • pressure drop
  • curved pipes 
  • pipe bend 
  • laminar flow 
  • turbulent flow 
  • secondary flow 
  • flow separation 
  • particle image velocimetry 
  • flow measurement 
  • helically coiled pipes 
  • pulsatile flow
  • computational fluid dynamics 
  • particle methods

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 8293 KB  
Article
Prediction of Erosion of a Hydrocyclone Inner Wall Based on CFD-DPM
by Ziyang Wu, Gangfeng Zheng and Shuntang Li
Fluids 2025, 10(10), 266; https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids10100266 (registering DOI) - 13 Oct 2025
Abstract
The erosion mechanism of hydrocyclones under air column conditions is still unclear. In this paper, Computational Fluid Dynamics–Discrete Phase Model (CFD-DPM) technology is adopted to perform transient simulations of the three-phase flow (liquid–gas–solid) within a hydrocyclone. The Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) and Volume [...] Read more.
The erosion mechanism of hydrocyclones under air column conditions is still unclear. In this paper, Computational Fluid Dynamics–Discrete Phase Model (CFD-DPM) technology is adopted to perform transient simulations of the three-phase flow (liquid–gas–solid) within a hydrocyclone. The Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) and Volume of Fluid (VOF) model are adopted to simulate the continuous phase flow field within the hydrocyclone, while the DPM coupled with the Oka erosion model is used to predict the particle flow and erosion mechanisms on each wall within the hydrocyclone. The particle sizes considered are 15 μm, 30 μm, 60 μm, 100 μm, 150 μm, and 200 μm, respectively, with a density of 2600 kg/m3. The particle velocity is consistent with the fluid velocity at 5 m/s, the total mass flow rate is 6 g/s, and the volume fraction is less than 10%. The results indicate that the cone section suffers the severest erosion, followed by the overflow pipe, column section, infeed section, and roof section. The erosion in the cone section reaches its maximum value near the underflow port, with an erosion rate approximately 6.8 times that of the upper cone section. The erosion distribution in the overflow pipe is uneven. The erosion of the column section exhibits a spiral banded distribution with a relatively large pitch. The erosion rate in the infeed section is approximately 1.47 times that of the roof section. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pipe Flow: Research and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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22 pages, 2544 KB  
Article
Pressure Drops for Turbulent Liquid Single-Phase and Gas–Liquid Two-Phase Flows in Komax Triple Action Static Mixer
by Youcef Zenati, M’hamed Hammoudi, Abderraouf Arabi, Jack Legrand and El-Khider Si-Ahmed
Fluids 2025, 10(10), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids10100259 - 4 Oct 2025
Viewed by 199
Abstract
Static mixers are commonly used for process intensification in a wide range of industrial applications. For the design and selection of a static mixer, an accurate prediction of the hydraulic performance, particularly the pressure drop, is essential. This experimental study examines the pressure [...] Read more.
Static mixers are commonly used for process intensification in a wide range of industrial applications. For the design and selection of a static mixer, an accurate prediction of the hydraulic performance, particularly the pressure drop, is essential. This experimental study examines the pressure drop for turbulent single-phase and gas–liquid two-phase flows through a Komax triple-action static mixer placed on a horizontal pipeline. New values of friction factor and z-factor are reported for fully turbulent liquid single-phase flow (11,700 ≤ ReL ≤ 18,700). For two-phase flow, the pressure drop for stratified and intermittent flows (0.07 m/s ≤ UL ≤ 0.28 m/s and 0.46 m/s ≤ UG ≤ 3.05 m/s) is modeled using the Lockhart–Martinelli approach, with a coefficient, C, correlated to the homogenous void fraction. Conversely, the analysis of power dissipation reveals a dependence on both liquid and gas superficial velocities. For conditions corresponding to intermittent flow upstream of the mixer, flow visualization revealed the emergence of a swirling flow in the Komax static mixer. It is interesting to note that an increase in slug frequency leads to an increase, followed by stabilization of the pressure drop. The results offer valuable insights for improving the design and optimization of Komax static mixers operating under single-phase and two-phase flow conditions. In particular, the reported correlations can serve as practical tools for predicting hydraulic losses during the design and scale-up. Moreover, the observed influence of the slug frequency on the pressure drop provides guidance for selecting operating conditions that minimize energy consumption while ensuring efficient mixing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pipe Flow: Research and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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19 pages, 2153 KB  
Article
Complex Network Method for Inferring Well Interconnectivity in Hydrocarbon Reservoirs
by M. Mayoral-Villa, F. A. Godínez, J. A. González-Guevara, J. Klapp and J. E. V. Guzmán
Fluids 2025, 10(4), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids10040095 - 4 Apr 2025
Viewed by 565
Abstract
Reservoir management becomes increasingly critical as fields decline to a fully mature state. During this stage, engineers and managers must make decisions based on a limited set of field measurements (such as pressure and production rates). At the same time, up-to-date information concerning [...] Read more.
Reservoir management becomes increasingly critical as fields decline to a fully mature state. During this stage, engineers and managers must make decisions based on a limited set of field measurements (such as pressure and production rates). At the same time, up-to-date information concerning the reservoir’s geophysical characteristics and petrochemical properties may be unavailable. To aid in the expert’s appraisal of this production scenario, we present the results of applying a data-driven methodology based on visibility graph analysis (VGA) and multiplex visibility graphs (MVGs). It infers inter-well connectivities at the reservoir level and clarifies the degrees of mutual influence among wells. This parameter-free technique supersedes the limitations of traditional methods, such as the capacitance–resistance (CR) models and inter-well numerical simulation models (INSIMs) that rely heavily on geophysical data and are sensitive to porous datasets. We tested the method with actual data representing a field’s state over 62 years. The technique revealed short- and long-term dependencies between wells when applied to historical records of production rates (oil, water, and gas) and pressures (bottom and wellhead). The inferred connectivity aligned with documented operational trends and successfully identified stable connectivity structures. In addition, the interlayer mutual information (IMI) parameter exceeded 0.75 in most periods, confirming high temporal consistency. Moreover, validation by field experts confirmed that the inferred interconnectivity was consistent with the observed production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pipe Flow: Research and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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12 pages, 866 KB  
Article
An Image-Based Technique for Measuring Velocity and Shape of Air Bubbles in Two-Phase Vertical Bubbly Flows
by Giulio Tribbiani, Lorenzo Capponi, Tommaso Tocci, Martina Mengoni, Marco Marrazzo and Gianluca Rossi
Fluids 2025, 10(3), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids10030069 - 17 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 626
Abstract
Bubbly flow is a flow regime common in many industrial applications involving heat and mass transfer, such as reactors, cooling systems, and separation units. Accurate knowledge of bubble velocity, shape, and volume is crucial as these parameters directly influence the efficiency of phase [...] Read more.
Bubbly flow is a flow regime common in many industrial applications involving heat and mass transfer, such as reactors, cooling systems, and separation units. Accurate knowledge of bubble velocity, shape, and volume is crucial as these parameters directly influence the efficiency of phase interaction and the mixing process performance. Over the past few decades, numerous techniques have been developed to measure the velocity, shape, and volume of bubbles. Most efforts have focused on non-intrusive methods to minimize disturbance to the flow. However, a technique capable of simultaneously measuring these bubble characteristics across a dense spatial domain remains elusive. In this research, an image-based technique that enables simultaneous measurement of bubble velocity, shape, and volume in bubbly flows over a densely sampled linear domain is presented. A high-speed camera captures the variation in light intensity as bubbles pass in front of a collimated laser sheet, providing real-time, high-resolution data. The accuracy of the proposed methodology is evaluated and the uncertainties associated with the velocity and volume measurements are quantified. Given the promising results and the simplicity of the hardware and setup, this study represents an important step toward developing a technique for online monitoring of industrial processes involving bubbly flows. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pipe Flow: Research and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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19 pages, 4713 KB  
Article
Non-Newtonian Convective Heat Transfer in Annuli: Numerical Investigation on the Effects of Staggered Helical Fins
by Luca Pagliarini, Fabio Bozzoli, Rasoul Fallahzadeh and Sara Rainieri
Fluids 2024, 9(12), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids9120272 - 21 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1221
Abstract
Despite non-Newtonian fluids being involved in many industrial processes, e.g., in food and chemical industries, their thermal treatment still represents a significant challenge due to their generally high apparent viscosity and consequent low heat transfer capability. Heat transfer in heat exchangers can be [...] Read more.
Despite non-Newtonian fluids being involved in many industrial processes, e.g., in food and chemical industries, their thermal treatment still represents a significant challenge due to their generally high apparent viscosity and consequent low heat transfer capability. Heat transfer in heat exchangers can be enhanced by passive systems, such as inserts or fins, to promote boundary layer disruption and fluid recirculation. However, most of the existing configurations cannot significantly improve the heat transfer over pressure drops in deep laminar flows. The present paper presents a numerical investigation on non-Newtonian flows passing through the annulus side of a double-pipe heat exchanger with staggered helical fins. The adopted geometry was conceptualized by merging the beneficial effects of swirling flow devices and boundary layer disruption. The numerical results were first validated against analytical solutions for non-Newtonian flows in annuli under a laminar flow regime. The finned geometry was therefore numerically tested and compared with the bare annulus to quantify the resulting heat transfer augmentation. When compared with the bare annuli, the proposed novel geometry greatly enhanced the heat transfer while mitigating friction losses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pipe Flow: Research and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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94 pages, 11117 KB  
Review
An Overview of Viscous and Highly Viscous Fluid Flows in Straight and Elbow Pipes: I—Single-Phase Flows
by Leonardo Di G. Sigalotti and Enrique Guzmán
Fluids 2025, 10(5), 125; https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids10050125 - 11 May 2025
Viewed by 4233
Abstract
The flow of viscous and highly viscous fluids in straight and bent pipes and channels is a fundamental process in a wide variety of industrial applications and is, therefore, of great interest in science and engineering. Understanding the physics behind such flows has [...] Read more.
The flow of viscous and highly viscous fluids in straight and bent pipes and channels is a fundamental process in a wide variety of industrial applications and is, therefore, of great interest in science and engineering. Understanding the physics behind such flows has a direct impact on the design of efficient, safe and reliable systems. The type of fluid, which can be viscous or even highly viscous, and the pipe geometry can affect the flow dynamics, the pressure loss and the overall efficiency of the process. In this paper, we provide an extensive review of the state-of-the-art research concerning the flow of Newtonian and non-Newtonian, single-phase fluids in straight and bent pipes. Since a big amount of work in the literature is devoted to the study of Newtonian pipe flows, the paper starts with a brief outline of the nonlinear theory of viscous Newtonian fluid flow in pipes, including a survey of early and recent analytical solutions to the Navier–Stokes equations. The central part of the paper deals with an extensive overview of existing experimental and numerical research work on viscous Newtonian pipe flows. Separate sections are devoted to non-Newtonian fluid flows, the problem of entropy generation due to irreversible processes in the flow and hydromagnetic Newtonian and non-Newtonian pipe flow. The review closes with a brief survey of machine learning and artificial intelligence modeling applied to pipe flow along with future trends and challenges in pipe flow research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pipe Flow: Research and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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