Effect of viscoelasticity on the rotation of a sphere in shear flow

When particles are dispersed in viscoelastic rather than Newtonian media, the hydrodynamics will be changed entailing differences in suspension rheology. The disturbance velocity profiles and stress distributions around the particle will depend on the viscoelastic material functions. Even in inertialess flows, changes in particle rotation and migration will occur. The problem of the rotation of a single spherical particle in simple shear flow in viscoelastic fluids was recently studied to understand the effects of changes in the rheological properties with both numerical simulations [D’Avino et al., J. Rheol. 52 (2008) 1331–1346] and experiments [Snijkers et al., J. Rheol. 53 (2009) 459–480]. In the simulations, different constitutive models were used to demonstrate the effects of different rheological behavior. In the experiments, fluids with different constitutive properties were chosen. In both studies a slowing down of the rotation speed of the particles was found, when compared to the Newtonian case, as elasticity increases. Surprisingly, the extent of the slowing down of the rotation rate did not depend strongly on the details of the fluid rheology, but primarily on the Weissenberg number defined as the ratio between the first normal stress difference and the shear stress.In the present work, a quantitative comparison between the experimental measurements and novel simulation results is made by considering more realistic constitutive equations as compared to the model fluids used in previous numerical simulations [D’Avino et al., J. Rheol. 52 (2008) 1331–1346]. A multimode Giesekus model with Newtonian solvent as constitutive equation is fitted to the experimentally obtained linear and nonlinear fluid properties and used to simulate the rotation of a torque-free sphere in a range of Weissenberg numbers similar to those in the experiments. A good agreement between the experimental and numerical results is obtained. The local torque and pressure distributions on the particle surface calculated by simulations are shown.     

Rheological characterization of polyethylene terephthalate resins using a multimode Phan-Tien-Tanner constitutive relation

Linear viscoelastic, shear, and extensional rheological characterization of linear and branched Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) resins (PET) was carried out by means of both a parallel-plate and capillary rheometers. Before loading into the rheometers, the polymer pellets were thoroughly dried at well-characterized conditions long enough to obtain consistent and reproducible results. Continuing polymer degradation and poly-condensation reactions in the relatively open environment of the parallel-plate rheometer were accounted for by correcting the data using material-time super-position. The rheological data obtained were used to fit by nonlinear optimization, the linear relaxation spectrum and nonlinear parameters of a multi-mode Phan-Thien and Tanner (PTT) constitutive relation. It was found that this model can represent rheological data for PET resins very well and as a result may be used in relevant processing flow simulations, i.e. film casting.     

Extensional behavior influence on viscoelastic turbulent channel flow

In this work we use in the simulation of a viscoelastic turbulent channel flow a modification of the finitely extensible of non-linear elastic dumbbells with the Peterlin approximation (FENE-P) constitutive model for dilute polymer solutions, applicable to high extensional deformations. The new feature introduced by this modification is that the free energy of the polymer (since it is assumed to be entirely entropically driven) remains always bounded (FENE-PB). The characteristics of the model under steady shear flow, pure elongational flow and transient extensional behavior are presented. It is found that the FENE-PB model is more shear thinning than FENE-P. Most importantly, it also shows a higher extensional viscosity than the FENE-P model. Although the steady-state Trouton ratio asymptotically reaches at high extensional rates the same limit as the FENE-P model, the transition from the Newtonian value is sharper and faster. We use the FENE-PB model in direct numerical simulations (DNS) of viscoelastic turbulent channel flow using spectral approximations. The results for various statistics of the flow and the polymer conformation, when compared against those obtained with the original FENE-P model and the same rheological parameters, show an enhanced polymer-induced drag reduction effect and enhanced deformation of the polymer molecules. This indicates that it is not only the asymptotic but also details from the extensional rheological behavior that matter in quantitatively specifying turbulent viscoelastic flow behavior.     

A FENE-P k–ε turbulence model for low and intermediate regimes of polymer-induced drag reduction

A new low-Reynolds-number k–ε turbulence model is developed for flows of viscoelastic fluids described by the finitely extensible nonlinear elastic rheological constitutive equation with Peterlin approximation (FENE-P model). The model is validated against direct numerical simulations in the low and intermediate drag reduction (DR) regimes (DR up to 50%). The results obtained represent an improvement over the low DR model of Pinho et al. (2008) [A low Reynolds number k–ε turbulence model for FENE-P viscoelastic fluids, Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics, 154, 89–108]. In extending the range of application to higher values of drag reduction, three main improvements were incorporated: a modified eddy viscosity closure, the inclusion of direct viscoelastic contributions into the transport equations for turbulent kinetic energy (k) and its dissipation rate, and a new closure for the cross-correlations between the fluctuating components of the polymer conformation and rate of strain tensors (NLT_ij). The NLT_ij appears in the Reynolds-averaged evolution equation for the conformation tensor (RACE), which is required to calculate the average polymer stress, and in the viscoelastic stress work in the transport equation of k. It is shown that the predictions of mean velocity, turbulent kinetic energy, its rate of dissipation by the Newtonian solvent, conformation tensor and polymer and Reynolds shear stresses are improved compared to those obtained from the earlier model.     

An algebraic closure for the DNS of fiber-induced turbulent drag reduction in a channel flow

An algebraic closure for the non-Newtonian Navier–Stokes equations is presented which accounts for the effect of a dilute fiber suspension. The model is intended to be used in simulations of turbulent drag reduction by fiber additives, and can be considered as a computationally efficient alternative to the existing rheological models for fiber suspensions in turbulent wall-bounded flows. It is based on the assumption that the suspended elongated particles are aligned with the local velocity fluctuation vector. The model is proved to be Galilean invariant. One-way coupled simulations and comparison with a direct solution of the underlying Fokker–Planck equation show a considerable improvement over an existing and comparable model. Finally, two-way coupled simulations demonstrate that the model predicts flow statistics that are in very good agreement with those obtained by the moment approximation approach. Interestingly, the model is realistic in terms of the polymer concentration. Using the proposed model, the cost of simulating a drag-reduced flow in terms of CPU-time is slightly more than that of a Newtonian flow.     

Nonlinear Stiffness of a Magneto-Rheological Damper

The last decade has witnessed an important role of magneto-rheological dampers in the semi-active vibration control on the basis of empirical models. Those models established by fitting experimental data, however, do not offer any explicit expressions for the stiffness and the damping of magneto-rheological dampers. Hence, it is not easy for engineers to get any intuitive information about the effects of stiffness and damping of a magneto-rheological damper on the dynamic performance of a controlled system. To manifest the nonlinear properties of a magneto-rheological damper, this paper presents the hysteretic phenomena and the additional nonlinear stiffness of a typical magneto-rheological damper in terms of equivalent linear stiffness and equivalent linear damping. Then, it gives a brief discussion about the effect of nonlinear stiffness on the vibration control through the numerical simulations and an experiment for the semi-active suspension of a quarter car model with a magneto-rheological damper installed. Both numerical simulations and experimental results show that the additional nonlinear stiffness in the magneto-rheological damper is remarkable, and should be taken into consideration in the design of vibration control.     

Viscoelastic plastic rheological model for particle filled polymer melts

A viscoelastic plastic model for suspension of small particles in polymer melts has been developed. In this model, the total stress is assumed to be the sum of stress in the polymer matrix and the filler network. A nonlinear viscoelastic model along with a yield criterion were used to represent the stresses in the polymer matrix and the filler network, respectively. The yield function is defined in terms of differential equations with an internal parameter. The internal parameter models the evolution of structure changes during floc rupture and restoration. The theoretical results were obtained for steady and oscillatory shear flow and compared with experimental data for particle filled thermoplastic melt. The experimental data included the steady state shear strress over a wide range of shear rates, the transient stress in a start up shear flow, stress relaxation after cessation of a steady state shear flow, the step shear and the oscillatory shear flow at various amplitudes.     

Brownian dynamics simulation of multiphase suspension of disc-like particles and polymers

A computational model is proposed for simulating the flow of polymer nanocomposites. This model is based on a multiphase suspension of disc-like particles and polymers. The particles are represented by oblate spheroid particles that interact with each other via the Gay-Berne (GB) potential, and the polymers are modeled by finitely extensible nonlinear elastic (FENE) chains that interact with each other via the repulsive Lennard-Jones potential. The interaction between an oblate spheroid particle and a FENE chain is also considered using a modified GB potential. A Brownian dynamics simulation of the shear flows of this system was conducted to investigate the orientation behavior of disc-like particles and the rheological properties of this system. The orientation of disc-like particles was affected by polymers, and the particles in a suspension were well aligned in flows because of the flow orientation property of polymers. The predicted shear viscosity exhibited shear thinning, and the normal stress differences agree qualitatively with experimental measurements of polymer/clay nanocomposites. The simulation results suggest that the present model has the potential to be used as a computational model for polymer nanocomposites.     

Modeling and simulation of three‐dimensional extrusion swelling of viscoelastic fluids with PTT,Giesekus and FENE‐P constitutive models

The investigation of the extrusion swelling mechanism of viscoelastic fluids has both scientific and industrial interest. However, it has been traditionally difficult to afford theoretical and experimental researches to this problem. The numerical methodology based on the penalty finite element method with a decoupled algorithm is presented in the study to simulate three‐dimensional extrusion swelling of viscoelastic fluids flowing through out of a circular die. The rheological responses of viscoelastic fluids are described by using three kinds of differential constitutive models including the Phan‐Thien Tanner model, the Giesekus model, and the finite extensible nonlinear elastic dumbbell with a Peterlin closure approximation model. A streamface‐streamline method is introduced to adjust the swelling free surface. The calculation stability is improved by using the discrete elastic‐viscous split stress algorithm with the inconsistent streamline‐upwind scheme. The essential flow characteristics of viscoelastic fluids are predicted by using the proposed numerical method, and the mechanism of swelling phenomenon is further discussed.Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Viscoelastic flow past confined objects using a micro–macro approach

This paper is concerned with the numerical prediction of viscoelastic flow past a cylinder in a channel and a sphere in a cylinder using molecular-based models. The basis of the numerical method employed is a micro–macro model in which the polymer dynamics is described by the evolution of an ensemble of Brownian configuration fields. The spectral element method is used to discretize the equations in space. Comparisons are made between the macroscopic simulations based on the Oldroyd B constitutive model and microscopic simulations based on Hookean dumbbells, and excellent agreement is found. The micro–macro approach can be used to simulate models, such as the finitely extensible nonlinear elastic (FENE) dumbbell model, which do not possess a closed-form constitutive equation. Numerical simulations are performed for the FENE model. The influence of the model parameters on the flow is described and, in particular, the dependence of the drag as a function of the Weissenberg number.     

Coupled global dynamics of an axially moving viscoelastic beam

The nonlinear global forced dynamics of an axially moving viscoelastic beam, while both longitudinal and transverse displacements are taken into account, is examined employing a numerical technique. The equations of motion are derived using Newton′s second law of motion, resulting in two partial differential equations for the longitudinal and transverse motions. A two-parameter rheological Kelvin–Voigt energy dissipation mechanism is employed for the viscoelastic structural model, in which the material, not partial, time derivative is used in the viscoelastic constitutive relations; this gives additional terms due to the simultaneous presence of the material damping and the axial speed. The equations of motion for both longitudinal and transverse motions are then discretized via Galerkin’s method, in which the eigenfunctions for the transverse motion of a hinged-hinged linear stationary beam are chosen as the basis functions. The subsequent set of nonlinear ordinary equations is solved numerically by means of the direct time integration via modified Rosenbrock method, resulting in the bifurcation diagrams of Poincaré maps. The results are also presented in the form of time histories, phase-plane portraits, and fast Fourier transform (FFTs) for specific sets of parameters.     

An Approach to Constructing a Rheological Model of a Strain-Hardening Medium

The one-dimensional constitutive equations of strain-hardening materials subject to nonlinear creep are derived. The solution is found using the hypothesis of unified deformation curve based on the similarity of the tensile and isochronic creep curves. A generalized rheological model is constructed which accounts for the instantaneous strain rate, loading rate, and the mode of strain hardening. This model is used to derive one-dimensional constitutive equations for linear viscoelastic, nonlinear viscoelastic, and linear- and nonlinear-hardening viscoelastoplastic materials. It is shown that the creep of linear viscoelastic and linear-hardening viscoelastoplastic materials is transient. For nonlinear viscoelastic and nonlinear-hardening viscoelastoplastic materials, all the characteristic stages of creep are present     

Numerical study of the rheology of rigid fillers suspended in long-chain branched polymer under planar extensional flow

We report a detailed numerical study of the rheology of two-dimensional rigid fillers suspended in branched polymer melt under planar extensional flow. The polymer melt is modelled using the pom-pom constitutive equation. The numerical method uses a finite element solution of the flow in a unit cell within the self-replicating lattice for planar extensional flow identified by Kraynik and Reinelt [Int. J. Multiphase flow 18 (1992) 1045]. This is implemented using a quotient space representation that maps all points in space onto points within the unit cell. We show that the Kraynik and Reinelt cell allows simulations of suspensions under planar extensional flow to be conducted to large strains in a truly periodic cell. The influence of both the pom-pom parameters and the particle area fraction on the rheology of the suspension are investigated. We find a reduction in the degree of extension-rate thickening with the increase of both particles concentration and Weissenberg numbers in agreement with published experimental and numerical findings on other viscoelastic models. This reduction is found to be due to flow disturbance created by the particles which disrupts the alignment of backbone tube segments with the extensional axis.     

Relationships between linear and nonlinear shear response of polymer nano-composites

Rheological analysis was used to understand the structure?Cproperty relations of polymer nano-composites based on ethylene vinyl acetate. Two geometrically different nano-particles (sphere of CaCO₃ and platelet of montmorillonite) having the same energetic attractions with ethylene vinyl acetate were studied for concentrations between 2.5 and 15 wt%. Three phenomena were studied: the appearance of a solid-like behavior in the linear viscoelastic domain, the limits of linear viscoelasticity, and the presence of stress overshoot in step shear tests. In particular, stress overshoot was investigated based on the tube concept of polymeric chains. Also, differences related to nano-particle geometry (platelet vs. spherical) were investigated based on a filler-network mechanism. Due to higher physical contacting probability, platelet particles can better interact and create a network structure, which dominates the rheological response. On the other hand, although spherical particles can limit the motion of polymeric chains under flow, a strong physical network was not formed. For platelets, scaling behavior was well described by fractal model which considers direct aggregation, and such scaling was not observed for spherical particles. The filler-network mechanism was validated by image analysis.     

A detailed comparison of various FENE dumbbell models

The rheological behaviour of dilute solutions of finitely extensible non-linear elastic (FENE) dumbbells in both steady state and transient shear and simple elongational flow is investigated. Three dumbbell models are compared: the original FENE model with the Warner spring force, which is treated by brownian dynamics simulations, and the FENE-P model based on the Peterlin approximation and the FENE-CR model as suggested by Chilcott and Rallison, which are treated by standard numerical techniques. It is shown that in the linear viscoelastic limit and in steady state flows the behaviour is similar, except for the FENE-CR dumbbell in shear flow, modelling a Boger fluid. In transient flows larger differences appear.     

Influence of dispersion procedure on rheological properties of aqueous solutions of high molecular weight PEO

The linear and nonlinear viscoelastic behaviors of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in aqueous media have been investigated as a function of concentration and molecular weight. A particular interest has been paid to study the effect of turbulent flow under stirring, inducing both shear and elongational stresses, on the rheological behavior of the polymer solutions. The comparison of intrinsic viscosity and viscoelastic properties between shaken and stirred PEO solutions is discussed at the molecular scale in terms of chain scission and aggregation. Results point out that the effect of the mechanical history on the rheological response of PEO solutions depends also on the concentration regime and molecular weight. Indeed, the influence of the dispersion procedure vanishes by decreasing both the concentration and the molecular weight.     

Homogeneous rheological behavior of nanoparticle-based melt

The present work explores nonlinear rheological behavior of a strongly viscoelastic paste made of nano-sized polybutadiene particles. Apart from conventional rheometric measurements, particle-tracking velocimetric observations are carried out to determine the macroscopic state of deformation during startup shear and after step strain. Despite its highly nonlinear rheological characteristics, the system shows no sign of inhomogeneous response to large shear deformations in sharp contrast to well-entangled polymeric liquids made of linear chains. Apparently strongly nonlinear rheological behavior can occur in absence of inhomogeneous macroscopic deformation.