Nonlinear steady states of hyperelastic membrane tubes conveying a viscous non-Newtonian fluid

We study possible steady states of an infinitely long tube made of a hyperelastic membrane and conveying either an inviscid, or a viscous fluid with power-law rheology. The tube model is geometrically and physically nonlinear; the fluid model is limited to smooth changes in the tube’s radius. For the inviscid case, we analyse the tube’s stretch and flow velocity range at which standing solitary waves of both the swelling and the necking type exist. For the viscous case, we first analyse the tube’s upstream and downstream limit states that are balanced by infinitely growing upstream (and decreasing downstream) fluid pressure and axial stress caused by fluid viscosity. Then we investigate conditions that can connect these limit states by a single solution. We show that such a solution exists only for sufficiently small flow speeds and that it has a form of a kink wave; solitary waves do not exist. For the case of a semi-infinite tube (infinite either upstream or downstream), there exist both kink and solitary wave solutions. For finite-length tubes, there exist solutions of any kind, i.e. in the form of pieces of kink waves, solitary waves, and periodic waves.     

Slow Viscous Flow through Arbitrary Triangular Tubes and Its Application in Modelling Porous Media Flows

In this article we extend the analytical solution for viscous flow in an equilateral triangular tube to irregular triangular tubes. The validity of the solution is examined and proved by comparison with the numerical simulation results. With the new extension of the equations, the average velocity of viscous flow through an arbitrary triangular tube can be readily calculated as a function of inscribed radius of the triangular cross-section of the tube, and the volumetric flow rate is computed as a function of inscribed radius and the cross- sectional area. To illustrate the advantages in using an arbitrary triangular tube for modelling a porous medium, we present examples of tube bundle models, which give a wide range of variation in porosity and permeability with a fixed pore size distribution, by using various combinations of three types of triangular tubes.     

Frictional resistance to accelerated flow in a tube

A study is made of the development of the flow of a viscous incompressible fluid from the state of rest in a circular cylindrical tube with constant pressure gradient. The tangential frictional stress at an arbitrary point of the flow is found as a function of the pressure gradient and the ratio of the values, averaged over the flow, of the accelerations corresponding to the considered time and the initial time. An analysis is made of the exact solution of the linear equation [1], which shows that the development of the drag forces in the case of viscous flow is determined by a characteristic time which depends on the kinematic viscosity and the tube radius. The value of the hydraulic friction drag coefficient for the unsteady flow is determined more accurately by introducing a correction that takes into account the velocity profile of the flow. The equations of motion are analyzed, and six different cases of development of the flow are described for the characteristic values of the dimensionless numbers. These cases determine the methods of calculation of one-dimensional problems. This question has not been fully clarified in earlier work [2, 3].     

Axial buckling of perforated plates reinforced with strips and middle tubes

Global buckling of perforated plates reinforced with circumferential strip or short tube is investigated. Effects of the hole radius, width of the strip, thickness and radius of the tube and boundary conditions are studied numerically and experimentally. Axial buckling loads of the holed plates decrease versus the hole radius. By using the strip or tube, the buckling strength increases significantly. In some cases, the stiffened plate has buckling load greater than the perfect plate. Numerical studies showed that the increasing restraints at the boundaries increase the buckling strength in any case and geometry of the plate.     

Thermal analysis of an infinite tube during quenching

 This paper deals with a numerical solution of the two-dimensional convection–diffusion equation in an infinite domain, arising out of quenching of an infinite tube. On the wetted side, upstream of the quench front, a constant heat transfer coefficient is assumed. The downstream of the quench front as well as the inside surface of the tube are assumed to be adiabatic. The solution gives the quench front temperature as a function of various model parameters such as Peclet number, Biot number and the radius ratio. The solution has been found to be in good agreement with the available analytical solutions and thus validates the numerical procedure suggested. Received on 10 July 2000     

Wave propagation in a fluid flowing through a curved thin-walled elastic tube

The pulsatile flow in a curved elastic pipe of circular cross section is investigated. The unsteady flow of a viscous fluid and the wall motion equations are written in a toroidal coordinate system, superimposed and linearized over a steady state solution. Being the main application relative to the vascular system, the radius of the pipe is assumed small compared with the radius of curvature. This allows an asymptotic analysis over the curvature parameter. The model results an extension of the Womersley's model for the straight elastic tube. A numerical solution is found for the first order approximation and computational results are finally presented, demonstrating the role of curvature in the wave propagation and in the development of a secondary flow.     

Incompressible low-speed-ratio flow in non-uniform distensible tubes

The fluid flow in distensible tubes is analysed by a finite element method based on an uncoupled solution of the equations of wall motion and fluid flow. Special attention is paid to the choice of proper boundary conditions. Computations were made for sinusoidal flow in a distensible uniform tube with the Womersley parameter α = 5, and a ratio between tube radius and wavelenth from 0·0001 to 0·5. The agreement between the numerical results and Womersley's analytic solution depends on the speed ratio between fluid and wave velocity, and is fair for speed ratios up to 0·05. The analysis of the flow field in a distensible tube with a local inhomogeneity revealed a marked influence of wave phenomena and wall motion on the velocity profiles.     

Non-linear waves in a fluid-filled inhomogeneous elastic tube with variable radius

In the present work, by employing the non-linear equations of motion of an incompressible, inhomogeneous, isotropic and prestressed thin elastic tube with variable radius and the approximate equations of an inviscid fluid, which is assumed to be a model for blood, we studied the propagation of non-linear waves in such a medium, in the longwave approximation. Utilizing the reductive perturbation method we obtained the variable coefficient Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equation as the evolution equation. By seeking a progressive wave type of solution to this evolution equation, we observed that the wave speed decreases for increasing radius and shear modulus, while it increases for decreasing inner radius and the shear modulus.     

Charged droplets evaporation and motion in an electric field

Monodisperse spray evaporation is investigated theoretically when a pure liquid or an electrolyte solution spray is charged and moves through an electric field. The solution of the equations in the case of electrolyte solutions gives the droplet size evolution down to the “equilibrium radius” when the relative humidity is high and down to the saline kernel when the humidity is lower. This solution also gives the dynamic behaviour in an electric field when the droplets are charged and are moving in a gas stream. A non dimensional curve is obtained for a given humidity, molality and temperature, independently of the electric field. With this curve it is possible to predict the droplet evolution only knowing a “middle time” of evaporation, calculated for a given electric force and a given initial radius.     

Effect of yield stress on the flow of a Casson fluid in a homogeneous porous medium bounded by a circular tube

The effect of yield stress on the flow characteristics of a Casson fluid in a homogeneous porous medium bounded by a circular tube is investigated by employing the Brinkman model to account for the Darcy resistance offered by the porous medium. The non-linear coupled implicit system of differential equations governing the flow is first transformed into suitable integral equations and are solved numerically. Analytical solution is obtained for a Newtonian fluid in the case of constant permeability, and the numerical solution is verified with that of the analytic solution. The effect of yield stress of the fluid and permeability of the porous medium on shear stress and velocity distributions, plug flow radius and flow rate are examined. The minimum pressure gradient required to start the flow is found to be independent of the permeability of the porous medium and is equal to the yield stress of the fluid.