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Independent CFD study
Pressure Loss in Pipe Elbows
A parametric CFD study of how bend radius affects pressure loss through a 90° elbow, checked against hand-calculated loss coefficients.
- Project
- Pressure Loss in Pipe Elbows
- Sheet
- 03 / 04
- Date
- Jan 2026
- Type
- Engineering
Bend ratios R/D
1 · 2 · 3
Simulations
5
01
Setup
A 20 mm pipe with 10D upstream and 20D downstream straight sections, modelled parametrically in SolidWorks at bend radii of 20, 40 and 60 mm (R/D = 1, 2, 3). Steady incompressible air, k-ω SST, velocity inlet and pressure outlet. Loss coefficients K were calculated by hand from the simulated pressure drop.
02
Findings
Increasing the bend radius reduces pressure loss, with the largest gain between R/D = 1 and 2 and diminishing returns from 2 to 3. Two extra runs at 15 m/s showed K is nearly insensitive to inlet velocity at these radii.