Yagmur, Sercan2025-01-102025-01-1020250029-80181873-5258https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2024.120219The bend is one of the most essential components in a piping system, as it significantly influences the overall flow behavior and system efficiency. Its design and performance directly affect pressure loss, flow separation, and turbulence. Therefore, this study aims to numerically investigate the flow structure around a 90 - degree bend and demonstrate the effectiveness of optimized guide vanes in improving flow characteristics. The numerical analyses were performed by solving the three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations using the SST k - omega turbulence model at Reynolds number Re = 3 x 104 in ANSYS-Fluent. Inserting optimized vanes significantly reduced flow separation, secondary flows, and turbulence, leading to lower energy loss and enhanced system efficiency. The use of optimized guide vanes resulted in several improvements: a noticeable shift in the flow separation point, significantly reduced secondary flow regions, and enhancement in the uniformity of axial velocity. The optimized vanes also broke high-intensity vortex cores into weaker, more stable formations, resulting in reduced turbulence by up to 40%. Pressure distribution was improved, and local resistance was reduced by over 38% with the 3D -OGV configuration. These improvements make the optimized guide vanes a practical and cost-effective solution for engineering applications.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessBendFlow UniformityOptimized Guide VaneResistance CoefficientTurbulent FlowArticle10.1016/j.oceaneng.2024.1202192-s2.0-85213287271