The non-isothermal elastic dumbbell: A model for the thermal conductivity of a polymer solution

In a flowing polymeric liquid, molecular orientation will give rise to anisotropic conduction of heat. In this paper, a theory is presented relating the thermal conductivity tensor to the deformation history of the fluid. The basis of this theory is formed by the Hookean dumbbell. It is shown that the anisotropy of the thermal conductivity is proportional to the polymer contribution to the extra-stress tensor. This stress-thermal law makes it relatively simple to incorporate anisotropic heat conduction into the numerical simulation of a flowing polymeric liquid.