Thixotropy, yielding and ultrasonic Doppler velocimetry in pulp fibre suspensions

This paper reports thixotropy in concentrated pulp fibre suspensions and studies their transient flow behaviour using conventional rheometry coupled with a velocimetry technique. Specifically, an ultrasonic Doppler velocimeter is used in conjunction with a rate-controlled rheometer to deduce the local velocity profiles of pulp fibre suspensions. Pulp suspensions are found to exhibit a plateau in their flow curves where a slight increase in the shear stress generates a jump in the corresponding shear rate, implying the occurrence of shear banding. The velocity profiles were found to be discontinuous in the vicinity of the yielding radius where the Herschel–Bulkley model failed to predict the flow. Shear history and the time of rest prior to the measurement were found to play a significant role on the rheology and the local velocity profiles of pulp suspensions.     

Rheology of coal suspensions

Proper design of operations encountered in preparation, transport and employment of suspensions like coal slurries and coal-oil mixtures require an accurate knowledge of their rheological behaviour.Such concentrated suspensions generally exhibit non-Newtonian behaviour (shearthinning) which is more pronounced at higher coal concentrations. The nature of the dispersing medium influences the aggregation state of the disperse phase and, consequently, affects the stability and the rheology of the systems. In the present paper coal suspensions prepared with different dispersing media and covering a wide range in solid phase concentration are studied, by using a rotational coaxial cylinders viscometer.Different models have been taken into consideration for correlating experimental data. In particular, in order to describe the dependence of viscosity on shear rate and solid phase concentration, the suitability of the model suggested by Smith and Bruce is evaluated. Accordingly, the aggregation state of the disperse phase as well as its dependence on shear rate and dispersing medium can be estimated.     

Rheology of physically evolving suspensions

The objective of this work was to investigate the modeling of the whole dynamic rheological behavior of physically evolving suspensions (e.g., polyvinyl chloride plastisols). The evolutions of the complex viscosity with time (isothermal) and with temperature (non-isothermal) were analyzed. To understand the physically involved phenomena, the determination of relationships between the solid volume fraction evolution and the rheological behavior was investigated. Firstly, the evolution of the volume fraction in relation with the variation of radii particle suspensions using a modified Avrami equation was determined. Actually, the rheological study of this physically evolving system is far too complicated due to the many factors involved in the evolving process. Consequently, a phenomenological law using Carreau–Yasuda equation and percolation laws combined with the evolution of the solid volume fraction is investigated to obtain the modeling of the whole dynamic rheological behavior at any frequency and temperature.     

Rheology of brown coal-water suspensions

Techniques for measuring the fundamental flow properties of as-mined Victorian brown coal suspensions are developed. Flow properties are presented for Morwell, Yallourn and Loy Yang coals as a function of concentration for fixed particle size distribution. Even at the relatively low solids concentration of 20 to 30 percent by weight, the suspensions exhibit complex non-Newtonian characteristics. Generally at high concentration, the suspensions are thixotropic with a shear rate dependent viscosity and exhibit a yield stress. The inherent thixotropy of the coals can be exploited and it is technically but perhaps not economically feasible to transport the as-mined coals in a pipeline. The power requirement to pump the coals in a pipeline is found to be 10 to 30 times that required to pump black coal in the Black Mesa pipeline in the U.S.A. The differences in the rheological properties of the three coals is related to the surface properties of the coal particle — expressed in terms of carboxylate and inorganic cation content, and to differences in the pore volume of the coals. The flow characteristics of one coal can be converted to that of another simply by varying either the carboxylate or ionic content of the suspension.     

Unsteady flow in rotating drums using laser Doppler velocimetry

Non-destructive measurements by laser Doppler velocimetry is employed to study unsteady flow in a hollow drum filled with liquid. The drum is suddenly accelerated from rest or is suddenly decelerated from a steady rotation to rest. Pure water and glycerin-water mixtures are used as the test liquid in which polyethylenelatex particles are mixed as the light scattering tracer. The boundary layer formation, the time history of velocity, momentum and kinetic energy of the liquid, the wall-to-fluid force transfer, and the transient response time are determined. Also determined are the effects of side walls and fluid viscosity on the transient flow response. Of importance is the disclosure of Ekman layer instability near the inner radial wall of the test drum. It is actuated by the centripetal acceleration-induced buoyancy force.List of symbols A wetted surface area of test drum, cm² - a reciprocal of characteristic velocity, = t _sH, s/cm - B width of test drum, cm - b axial coordinate of test drum, cm - D diameter of test drum, cm; D ₁, inner diameter; D ₂, outer diameter - d diameter of laser beam, mm - d _p particle diameter, mm - E kinetic energy of liquid, kg · cm²/s²; E _s, steady value - F force transferred from drum walls to liquid, N - f focal length of lens, mm - G one-half of spacing between two parallel split beams, Fig. 1 - H characteristic length of test drum, cm; = V/A - M momentum of liquid, kg·cm/s; M _s, steady value - m mass of control volume, kg - r radial coordinate of test drum, cm - S fringe spacing, mm - t time, s - t _p time for particle to travel through fringe spacing, s - t _s transient time, s - u liquid velocity, cm/s - V liquid volume in test drum, cm³ - V _s effective volume of sample volume, mm³ - v velocity of tracer particle, cm/s; = S/t - W waist diameter of parabola in Fig. 2, mm - (x, y, z) coordinates for paraboloid in Fig. 2, mm - crossing angle of splitting beams, degrees - wavelength of laser length, cm - v kinematic viscosity, cm²/s - liquid density, kg/cm³ - Doppler frequency, l/s - s at steady state - 1 outer - 2 inner On leave from the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Musashi Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan     

Heterodyne Doppler global velocimetry

Doppler Global Velocimetry (DGV) is an imaging flow measurement technique which allows the measurement of the velocity distribution in a plane. In DGV the frequency shift of scattered light from moving particles within the flow is used to determine the local flow velocity. Heterodyne Doppler Global Velocimetry (HDGV) is a new approach which combines the imaging and geometrical characteristics of DGV with the measurement principles of reference beam laser Doppler anemometry. The frequency shifted scattered light from the flow tracers is heterodyned with a reference beam from the same light source. Due to interference the result of this superposition is a harmonic intensity modulated signal. This signal is detected using a smart pixel detector array to obtain the velocity distribution. Two different experiments are presented. The first experiment compares the measured velocity distribution of a rotating disk with its actual velocity. The second experiment demonstrates the capability of the technique to measure a real flow.     

Imaging laser Doppler velocimetry

Imaging laser Doppler velocimetry (ILDV) is a novel flow measurement technique, which enables the measurement of the velocity in an imaging plane. It is an evolution of heterodyne Doppler global velocimetry (HDGV) and may be regarded as the planar extension of the classical dual-beam laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) by crossing light sheets in the flow instead of focused laser beams. Seeding particles within the flow are illuminated from two different directions, and the light scattered from the moving particles exhibits a frequency shift due to the Doppler effect. The frequency shift depends on the direction of the illumination and the velocity of the particle. The superposition of the two different frequency-shifted signals on the detector creates interference and leads to an amplitude modulated signal wherein the modulation frequency depends on the velocity of the particle. This signal is detected using either a high-speed camera or alternatively a smart pixel imaging array. This detector array performs a quadrature detection on each pixel with a maximum demodulation frequency of 250 kHz. To demonstrate the feasibility of the technique, two experiments are presented: The first experiment compares the measured velocity distribution of a free jet using ILDV performed with the smart pixel detector array and a high-speed camera with a reference measurement using PIV. The second experiment shows an advanced setup using two smart pixel detector arrays to measure the velocity distribution on a rotating disk, demonstrating the potential of the technique for high-velocity flow measurements.     

Instantaneous, three-component planar Doppler velocimetry using imaging fibre bundles

This paper describes a planar Doppler velocimetry (PDV) technique that is capable of measuring the three, instantaneous and time average components of velocity over two spatial dimensions using a single pair of signal and reference cameras. The three views required to obtain three-component velocity information are guided from the collection optics to a single imaging plane using flexible fibre imaging bundles. These are made up of a coherent array of single fibres and are combined at one end as the input plane to the measurement head. Measurements of the velocity field of a rotating disk are used in the development of the technique and initial results of the instantaneous velocity field of a jet are presented.     

Measurement of velocities in gas-liquid two-phase flow using laser Doppler velocimetry

Measurements of bubble and liquid velocities in two-phase flow have been made using a new forward/backward scattering Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) technique. A standard LDV fiber optic probe was used to measure the bubble velocity using direct backscattered light. A novel retro-reflector and lens assembly permitted the same probe to measure the liquid velocity with direct forward-scattered light. Preliminary results show the usefulness of the technique in a duct of narrow thickness dimension.     

Rheology of concentrated coagulating suspensions in non-aqueous media

The rheology of concentrated coagulating suspensions is analysed on the basis of the following model: (i) at low shear rates, the shear is not distributed homogeneously but limited to certain shear planes; (ii) the energy dissipation during steady flow is due primarily to the overcoming of viscous drag by the suspended particles during motion caused by encounters of particles in the shear planes. This model is called the giant floc model.With increasing shear rate the distance between successive shear planes diminishes, approaching the suspended particles' diameter at average shear stresses of 88–117 Pa in suspensions of 78 µm particles (glass ballotini coated by a hydrophobic layer) in glycerol — water mixtures, at solid volume fractions between 0.35 and 0.40. Smaller particles form a more persistent coagulation structure. The average force necessary to separate two touching 78 µm particles is too large to be accounted for by London-van der Waels forces; thus coagulation is attributed to bridging connections between polymer chains protruding from the hydrophobic coatings.The frictional ratio of the glass particles in these suspensions is of the order of 10. Coagulation leads to build-up of larger structural units at lower shear rates; on doubling the shear rate the average distance between the shear planes decreases by a factor of 0.81 to 0.88. A inter-shear plane distance - A Hamaker constant - b radius of primary particles - f frictional ratio - F _A attractive force between two particles - g acceleration due to gravity - H distance between the surfaces of two particles - K proportionality constant in power law - l fraction of distance by which a moving particle entrains its neighbours - l effective length of inner cylinder in the rheometer - M torque experienced by inner cylinder during measurements - n exponent in power law - n ₀ ,n ₁ ,n ₂ constants in extended power law - NC _hex number of contacts, per mm², between particles in adjacent layers with an average degree of occupation, assuming a hexagonal arrangement of the particles within the layers - NC _cub asNC _hex, but with a cubical arrangement - p () d increase of slippage probability when the shear stress increases from to + d - q average coordination number of a particle in a coagulate - R _i radius of inner cylinder of rheometer - R _u radius of outer cylinder of rheometer - t _i time during which particlei moves - t ₀ time during which a particle bordering a shear plane moves from its rectilinear course, on meeting another particle - u angle between the direction of motion, and the line connecting the centers of two successive particles bordering a shear plane - V _A attractive energy between two particles - x, y, z Cartesian coordinates:x — the direction of motion;y — the direction of the velocity gradient - y ₀ ,z ₀ y, z value of a particle meeting another particle, when both are far removed from each other - y ₀ spread iny ₀ values - —2/n - ₀ capture efficiency - shear rate - average shear rate calculated for a Newtonian liquid - _i distance by which particlei moves - ₀ distance by which a particle bordering a shear plane moves from its rectilinear course, when it encounters another particle - square root of area occupied by a particle bordering a shear plane, in this plane - _c energy dissipated during one encounter of two particles bordering a shear plane - _p energy dissipated by one particle - energy dissipated per unit of volume and time during steady flow - viscosity - _app calculated as if the liquid is Newtonian - ₀ viscosity of suspension medium - _PL lim - [] intrinsic viscosity - _diff - _{diff, rel diff}/ ₀ - standard deviation of distribution ofy ₀ values - shear stress - _n average shear stress at the highest values applied - mass average particle diameter - _n number average particle diameter - solid volume fraction - _eff effective solid volume fraction in Dougherty-Krieger relation - _max maximum solid volume fraction permitting flow - _i angular velocity of inner cylinder in rheometer during measurements     

Micro particle-image velocimetry of bead suspensions and blood flows

We present and discuss velocity profiles of microflows obtained by micro particle-image velocimetry in a transmission setup. We have measured suspensions of beads in water and on human blood, using the red blood cells as a natural particle seeding. The limitations imposed by our optical system on the spatial resolution normal to the focal plane, the so-called focal depth, have also been analyzed. The first direct observations of the influence of the focal depth on the observed velocity profiles are presented. Good agreement is obtained between observations and calculated profiles modified by the finite focal depth through a weight function.     

Ultrasonic Doppler velocimetry in liquid gallium

For the first time, flow velocity is measured in a vortex of liquid gallium, using the pulsed Doppler shift ultrasonic method. At the top of a copper cylinder filled with liquid gallium, we spin a disk and create a turbulent vortex with a dominant nearly axisymmetric velocity field with little variation in the axial direction. The velocity profiles are shown to be well resolved and in quantitative agreement with earlier observations. Reliable velocity measurements in liquid gallium could be obtained only after serious problems due to the formation of oxides were solved. This work opens the way to performing accurate velocity measurements in other liquid metals; preliminary results for liquid sodium are shown. Received: 14 January 2000 / Accepted: 12 January 2001     

Wall shear stress measurement in a turbulent pipe flow using ultrasound Doppler velocimetry

A turbulent boundary layer of a water flow is investigated by means of pulsed ultrasound Doppler velocimetry. The advantage of this method is the acquisition of complete velocity profiles along the sound propagation line within very short time intervals. The shear stress velocity, used for normalizing the velocity profiles, was determined by fitting the profiles to the universal profiles in a turbulent boundary layer obtained from Prandtl's mixing length theory. A coordinate transformation in the near-wall region is proposed to allocate the velocity data to "true" wall distances. From the experimental values of the wall shear stress velocity, the friction factors for a turbulent pipe flow are calculated and compared to the Blasius law. The overall error in measurement was estimated to NJ.4%.     

Shadow Doppler velocimetry with double fiber-array sensors

Shadow Doppler velocimetry (SDV) systems with double fiber-array sensors were developed for the measurements of particle trajectory angles and for the stereoscopic investigation of particles. The parallel two-line fiber-array configuration improves the accuracy of the trajectory angle measurement in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis, which contributes to the high accuracy of the particle shape reconstruction process. It also provides information on the other trajectory angle in a plane parallel to the two laser beams. Furthermore, it realizes "time-of-flight" velocity measurement, which provides the possibility to simplify the original SDV setup by removing the laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) components. On the other hand, stereoscopic SDV was also developed, which is effective in cases where three-dimensional characteristics of shape, orientation, or behavior of particles are important.     

Rheology of concentrated suspensions containing mixtures of spheres and fibres

Optimising flow properties of concentrated suspensions is an important issue common for many industries. The rheology of concentrated suspensions has therefore been studied intensively both experimentally and theoretically. Most studies have focused on monodisperse and polydisperse suspensions of either spheres or fibres. In practice, most suspensions contain particles that are polydisperse both in size and shape. A mixing rule for such systems is expected to be a powerful tool for engineers and product designers. Therefore in this work, suspensions of spheres, fibres and mixtures thereof were characterised using rotational shear rheometry and in-line image analyses. Thereby, total solids volume concentration and fibre fraction was varied. Results from transient and steady-state shear rheometry are discussed with respect to concentration, fibre fraction, and shear induced microstructure. Experimentally obtained viscosity data were accurately fitted using the model proposed by Farris (T Soc Rheol 12:281, 1968) for mixtures of monodisperse non-interacting spheres of different sizes.Originally presented at the Annual European Rheology Conference 2003, AERC 2003     

Rheology of low viscosity,high concentration brown coal suspensions

The paper describes how the theology of low concentration brown coal suspensions can be exploited to produce high concentration, low viscosity suspensions which are attractive as a potential coal-water fuel. Brown coal suspensions with solid concentrations approaching those of bituminous black coal have been prepared. The high inherent water content ( 60 wt %) and macroporosity of the brown coal have been reduced by thermal and chemical means. The hydrophobicity of the coal surface has been increased sufficiently to reduce the tendency for swelling and water uptake. This, together with densification, has allowed the solids content to be progressively improved from 30 wt % solids with raw coal to 65 wt% solids with modified coals while maintaining the viscosity of the suspension at a low level. The high solid concentration was achieved without additives.     

Velocity measurements at high temperatures by ultrasound Doppler velocimetry using an acoustic wave guide

Ultrasound Doppler velocimetry (UDV) was used to measure flow velocities at temperatures up to 620^°C. To overcome the thermal restriction of the ultrasonic transducers an acoustic wave guide was used. The acoustic wave guide and the piezoelectric element are combined in the form of an integrated sensor. This approach allowed the first successful application of the ultrasound Doppler technique in liquid metals at temperatures above 200^°C. The feasibility of this integrated sensor concept was demonstrated in experiments with metallic melts. Measurements were performed in a PbBi bubbly flow and in CuSn.     

Progress in Doppler picture velocimetry (DPV)

The special wide-field Michelson interferometer designed at ISL transforms the Doppler frequency shift of light scattered by tracer particles crossing a light sheet into a shift of luminous intensity at the output of the Michelson interferometer, yielding information about the particle velocity. To overcome former disadvantages, the optical set-up as well as the Doppler picture-processing algorithm were further improved. The present status of Doppler picture velocimetry (DPV) is explained by means of measurements carried out at Mach 6 in the ISL shock tunnel STA. The vertical velocity distribution around several bodies, such as a wedge, a sphere and a cylinder was visualized and measured.     

Taylor length scale measurement by laser Doppler velocimetry

 A new method for making direct measurements of the spatial velocity correlation coefficient, based on two-point laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV), has been developed. In this paper, the effects of control parameters on the correlation coefficient are being investigated. The main sources of experimental error have been identified and analysed. It appears that the probe volume length has a key effect on the accuracy of Taylor micro-scale measurement. A data processing procedure has been established and validated for the determination of this scale. The procedure shows that the portion of the correlation curve used to determine Taylor scale is a function of the integral scale to Taylor micro-scale ratio. Received: 7 June 1995/Accepted: 8 December 1997