Viscosity enhancement in non-Newtonian flow of dilute aqueous polymer solutions through crystallographic and random porous media

We report results on the flow of dilute aqueous solutions of hydrolysed poly(acrylamide) (HPAA) through beds of spheres packed in simple cubic and body-centred cubic crystallographic arrays. Pressure drop measurements made across the arrays as a function of the flow rate have been used to estimate the specific viscosities of the HPAA solutions as a function of the superficial strain rate. It is found that greater non-Newtonian increases in the specific viscosity occur in the body-centred cubic array, which is thought to be due to the presence of trailing stagnation points, which are not present in the simple cubic array. Experiments have been performed using HPAA solutions in the presence of mono- and divalent cations at various concentrations and, for validity, have been compared with results obtained from a traditional randomly packed porous medium. In addition, a study of mechanical degradation of the polymer in flow through the crystallographic arrays has been carried out and reveals a greater rate of degradation in the body-centred array and also a significant increase in degradation with salt concentration.     

Electrical fluctuations and entry flow instabilities during capillary flow of aqueous poly (ethylene oxide) solutions

Capillary flow of poly (ethylene oxide) solutions generates voltage fluctuations (noise) between electrodes placed on both sides of the capillary. The noise has a 1/f type spectral distribution, the value of increasing with (shear rate) to a limiting level. Within certain ranges, two sets of harmonic peaks appear in the spectra. It is demonstrated that these peaks are related to the frequency components of the instabilities in the entry flow region. The lower frequency set of harmonics corresponds to axial oscillations (pulsations) of the flow, while the higher frequency peaks are associated with the transverse oscillation of the stream lines in the vicinity of the entry. The corresponding frequencies were measured by visual counting and by spectral analysis of laser light transmitted through the entry region during injection of a coloured solution.The noise measurements were carried out using both platinum and reversible Ag/AgCl electrodes. In the latter case the streaming potential was also measured; its variation due to pressure fluctuations in the instable flow region appears to provide a plausible explanation of flow-induced noise phenomena as observed in elastic solutions.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. J. Schurz on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday.     

Excess thermal noise and low-frequency oscillations during capillary flow of aqueous solutions of poly(ethylene oxide)

The excess thermal noise generated in polymer solutions through narrow capillaries is studied in detail for aqueous solutions of poly(ethylene oxide), , of varying concentration. With increasing flow rate, the excess noise level increases, the noise spectrum assuming a 1/f -form with 1.5. Within a critical flow range, distinct peaks appear in the spectrum, their frequencies being multiples of a fundamental frequency. The latter frequency (f ₀) is found to increase with the flow rate; this variation, as well as that brought about by varying concentration and capillary dimensions, can be accommodated in a single curve correlatingf ₀ with the shear rate at the capillary wall. No such correlation was found for the total noise level. The value off ₀ appeared to be determined by transversal oscillations of the liquid stream entering the capillary. Addition of small amounts of silica particles (Aerosil) led to the disappearance of the peaks in the spectrum.     

The rheology of Hydroxy-propylguar (HPG) solutions and its influence on the flow through a porous medium and turbulent tube flow,respectively (Part 1)

The rheology of aqueous HPG solutions in the range 100 wppm to 5000 wppm is investigated. The flow through a porous medium and turbulent tube flow, respectively, of these solutions is studied as well. Especially with respect to the higher concentrations, the data correlate nicely only after the effect of shear is extracted, i.e., after the variable viscosity is taken into account. This is accomplished by working with an apparent viscosity _c , defined such that, the Hagen Poiseuille law (with _c ) holds in laminar tube flow.