Stability analysis in spatial mode for channel flow of fiber suspensions

Different from previous temporal evolution assumption, the spatially growing mode was employed to analyze the linear stability for the channel flow of fiber suspensions. The stability equation applicable to fiber suspensions was established and solutions for a wide range of Reynolds number and angular frequency were given numerically . The results show that, the flow instability is governed by a parameter H which represents a ratio between the axial stretching resistance of fiber and the inertial force of the fluid. An increase of H leads to a raise of the critical Reynolds number, a decrease of corresponding wave number, a slowdown of the decreasing of phase velocity , a growth of the spatial attenuation rate and a diminishment of the peak value of disturbance velocity. Although the unstable region is reduced on the whole, long wave disturbances are susceptible to fibers.     

An experimental study of flow-induced fiber orientation and concentration distributions in a concentrated suspension flow through a slit channel containing a cylinder

Flow-induced fiber orientation and concentration distributions were measured in a concentrated fiber suspension (CFS) and a dilute one (DFS). The channel has a thin slit geometry containing a circular cylinder. In the previous work, many researchers have qualitatively studied fiber orientation and concentration distributions in injection-molded products of fiber-reinforced plastics. In the present work, however, they are quantitatively estimated by direct observation of fibers in the concentrated suspension flow. For the CFS, some fibers rotate in an expansion part between the channel wall and the circular cylinder, and the fiber orientation becomes almost random state. On the other hand, fibers are perfectly aligned along the flow direction owing to the elongational flow near the centerline downstream of the cylinder. The fiber concentration has a flat distribution except near the channel wall and the centerline. For the DFS a minimum in the fiber concentration distribution was clearly observed on the centerline, and two peaks beside the centerline and near the channel wall. This characteristic distribution is caused by the fiber-wall and fiber-cylinder interactions. It is found that the obstacle such as the circular cylinder in the channel significantly affects the fiber orientation downstream of the obstacle for the CFD, while it affects the fiber concentration distribution for the DFS.     

Research on the motion of particles in the turbulent pipe flow of fiber suspensions

The motion of fibers in turbulent pipe flow was simulated by 3-D integral method based on the slender body theory and simplified model of turbulence. The orientation distribution of fibers in the computational area for different Re numbers was computed. The results which were consistent with the experimental ones show that the fluctuation velocity of turbulence cause fibers to orient randomly. The orientation distributions become broader as the Re number increases. Then the fluctuation velocity and angular velocity of fibers were obtained. Both are affected by the fluctuation velocity of turbulence. The fluctuation velocity intensity of fiber is stronger at longitudinal than at lateral, while it was opposite for the fluctuation angular velocity intensity of fibers. Finally, the spatial distribution of fiber was given. It is obvious that the fiber dispersion is strenghened with the increase of Re numbers.     

Numerical prediction of fiber motion in a branching channel flow of fiber suspensions

Fiber orientation and dispersion in the dilute fiber suspension that flows through a T-shaped branching channel are simulated numerically based on the slender-body theory. The simulated results are consistent qualitatively with the experimental data available in the literature. The results show that the spatial distribution of fibers is dependent on the fiber aspect ratio, but has no relation with the volume fraction of fiber. The content ratio of fibers near the upper wall increases monotonically with an increasing Re number, and the situation is reverse for the region near the bottom wall. The orientation of fibers depends on Re number, however, the function of fiber volume fraction and aspect ratio is negligible. The fibers near the wall and in the central region of the channel align along the flow direction at all times, but the fibers in the other parts of the channel tend to align along the flow direction only in the downstream region.The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10372090) and Doctoral Program of Higher Education in China (20030335001)The English text was polished by Ron Marshall     

Sidewall flow stability in the MHD channel flows

The velocity distribution between two sidewalls is M-shaped for the MHD channel, flows with rectangular cross section and thin conducting walls in a strong transverse magnetic field. Assume that the dimensionless numbersR _m ?1,M, N? 1, and σ* and that the distance between two perpendicular walls is very long in comparison with the distance between two sidewalls. First, the equation for steady flow is established, and the solution of M-shaped velocity distribution is given. Then, an equation for stability of small disturbances is derived based on the velocity distribution obtained. Finally, it is proved that the stability equation for sidewall flow can be transformed into the famous Orr-Sommerfeld equation, in addition, the following theorems are also proved, namely, the analogy theorem, the generalized Rayleigh's theorem, the generalized Fjørtoft's theorem and the generalized Joseph's theorems.     

Dynamics of short fiber suspensions in bounded shear flow

We have studied the dynamics of non-colloidal short fiber suspensions in bounded shear flow using the Stokesian dynamics simulation. Such particles make up the microstructure of many suspensions for which the macroscopic dynamics are not well understood. The effect of wall on the fiber dynamics is the main focus of this work. For a single fiber undergoing simple shear flow between plane parallel walls the period of rotation was compared with the Jeffrey’s orbit. A fiber placed close to the wall shows significant deviation from Jeffrey’s orbit. The fiber moving near a solid wall in bounded shear flow follows a pole-vaulting motion, and its centroid location from the wall is also periodic. Simulations were also carried out to study the effect of fiber–fiber interactions on the viscosity of concentrated suspensions.     

Numerical simulation of flow kinematics and fiber orientation for multi-disperse suspension

The development of flow kinematics and fiber orientation distribution from the parabolic velocity profile and isotropic orientation at the channel inlet was computed in multi-disperse suspension flow through a parallel plate channel and their predictions were compared with those of mono- and bi-disperse suspensions. A statistical scheme (orientations of a large number of fibers are evaluated from the solution of the Jeffery equation along the streamlines) was confirmed to be very useful and feasible method to analyze accurately the orientation distribution of fibers in multi-disperse fiber suspension flow as well as mono- and bi-dispersions, instead of direct solutions of the orientation distribution function of fibers or the evolution equation of the orientation tensor which involves a closure equation. It was found that the flow kinematics and the fiber orientation depend completely on both the fiber aspect-ratio and the fiber parameter for multi-disperse suspension when the fiber–fiber and fiber-wall interactions are neglected. Furthermore, the addition of large aspect-ratio fibers as well as an increase in the fiber parameter related to the large aspect-ratio fibers could suppress the complex velocity field and stress distributions which are observed in suspensions containing small aspect-ratio fibers. From a practical point of view, therefore, the mechanical and physical properties of fiber composites should be improved with an increase in the volume fraction of large aspect-ratio fibers.     

Simulations of fibre orientation in dilute suspensions with front moving in the filling process of a rectangular channel using level-set method

The simulation of fibre orientation in dilute suspension with front moving is carried out using the projection and level-set methods. The motion of fibres is described using the Jeffery equation, and the contribution of fibres to the flow is accounted for by the configuration-field method. The dilute suspension of short fibres in Newtonian fluids is considered. The governing Navier–Stokes equation for the fluid flow is solved using the projection method with finite difference scheme, while the fibre-related equations are directly solved with the Runge–Kutta method. In the present study for fibres in dilute suspension flow for injection molding, the effects of various flow and material parameters on the fibre orientation, the velocity distributions and the shapes of the leading flow front are found and discussed. Our findings indicate that the presence of fibre motion has little influence on the front shape in the ranges of fibre parameters studied at the fixed Reynolds number. Influence of changing fibre parameters only causes variation of front shape in the region near the wall, and the front shape in the central core area does not vary much with the fibre parameters. On the other hand, the fibre motion has strong influence on the distributions of the streamwise and transverse velocities in the fountain flow. Fibre motion produces strong normal stress near the wall which leads to the reduction of transversal velocity as compared to the Newtonian flow without fibres, which in turn, leads to the increased streamwise velocity near the wall. Thus, the fibre addition to the flow weakens the strength of the fountain flow. The Reynolds number has also displayed significant influence on the distribution of the streamwise velocity behind the flow front for a given fibre concentration. It is also found that the fibre orientation is not always along the direction of the velocity vector in the process of mold filling. In the region of the fountain flow, the fibre near the centreline is more oriented across the streamwise direction compared to that in the region far behind the flow front. This leads to the fact that the fibre near the centreline in the region of fountain flow is more extended along the transverse direction. As the fibre orientation in the suspension flow and the shape of the flow front have great bearing on the quality of the product made from injection molding, this study has much implications for engineering applications. These results can also be useful in other fields dealing with fibre suspensions.     

Experimental and theoretical study of short fiber orientation in diverging flows

Two types of experiments have been carried out to study the fiber orientation in flow through a divergent channel. First, a reinforced polyamid mold sprue containing two types of orientation was investigated: near the center, the fibers are mostly oriented perpendicular to the flow lines, whereas on the periphery, they are oriented parallel to them. Second, direct observation of copper fibers moving in a corn syrup was performed in a transparent diverging device: the fibers rapidly become oriented transverse to the flow lines. The solution of Stokes equations for the undisturbed fluid motion gives the shear rate and elongation rate, which are then substituted in Jeffery's orientation equations. The resolution shows two types of behavior: in a large area in the center, the fiber tends to a stable equilibrium position which depends strongly on the flow line on which it moves. On the periphery, the fiber follows a shear-like behavior. The strong influence of the elongational component relative to the shear component is demonstrated and the time necessary for orientation is calculated. The theoretical results are found to be in agreement with the observations.     

Fiber suspension flow in a tapered channel: The effect of flow/fiber coupling

A numerical model for predicting the flow and orientation state of semi-dilute, rigid fiber suspensions in a tapered channel is presented. The effect of the two-way flow/fiber coupling is investigated for low Reynolds number flow using the constitutive model of Shaqfeh and Fredrickson. An orientation distribution function is used to describe the local orientation state of the suspension and evolves according to a Fokker–Plank type equation. The planar orientation distribution function is determined along streamlines of the flow and is coupled with the fluid momentum equations through a fourth-order orientation tensor. The coupling term accounts for the two-way interaction and momentum exchange between the fluid and fiber phases. The fibers are free to interact through long range hydrodynamic fiber–fiber interactions which are modeled using a rotary diffusion coefficient, an approach outlined by Folgar and Tucker. Numerical predictions are made for two different orientation states at the inlet to the contraction, namely a fully random and a partially aligned fiber orientation state. Results from these numerical predictions show that the streamlines of the flow are altered and that velocity profiles change from Jeffery–Hamel, to something resembling a plug flow when the fiber phase is considered in the fluid momentum equations. This phenomenon was found when the suspension enters the channel in either a pre-aligned, or in a fully random orientation state. When the suspension enters the channel in an aligned orientation state, fiber orientation is shown to be only marginally changed when the two-way coupling is included. However, significant differences between coupled and uncoupled predictions of fiber orientation were found when the suspension enters the channel in a random orientation state. In this case, the suspension was shown to align much more quickly when the mutual coupling was accounted for and profiles of the orientation anisotropy were considerably different both qualitatively and quantitatively.     

Linear stability analysis of flow in a periodically grooved channel

We have conducted the linear stability analysis of flow in a channel with periodically grooved parts by using the spectral element method. The channel is composed of parallel plates with rectangular grooves on one side in a streamwise direction. The flow field is assumed to be two‐dimensional and fully developed. At a relatively small Reynolds number, the flow is in a steady‐state, whereas a self‐sustained oscillatory flow occurs at a critical Reynolds number as a result of Hopf bifurcation due to an oscillatory instability mode. In order to evaluate the critical Reynolds number, the linear stability theory is applied to the complex laminar flow in the periodically grooved channel by constituting the generalized eigenvalue problem of matrix form using a penalty‐function method. The critical Reynolds number can be determined by the sign of a linear growth rate of the eigenvalues. It is found that the bifurcation occurs due to the oscillatory instability mode which has a period two times as long as the channel period. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Variation of fiber orientation in turbulent flow inside a planar contraction with different shapes

In this study, we have investigated the influence of shape of planar contractions on the orientation distribution of stiff fibers suspended in turbulent flow. To do this, we have employed a model for the orientational diffusion coefficient based on the data obtained by high-speed imaging of suspension flow at the centerline of a contraction with flat walls. This orientational diffusion coefficient depends only on the contraction ratio and turbulence intensity. Our measurements show that the turbulence intensity decays exponentially independent of the contraction angle. This implies that the turbulence variation in the contraction is independent of the shape, consistent with the results by the rapid distortion theory and the experimental results of axisymmetric contractions. In order to determine the orientation anisotropy, we have solved a Fokker–Planck type equation governing the orientation distribution of fibers in turbulent flow. Although the turbulence variation and the orientational diffusion are independent of the contraction shape, the results show that the variation of the orientation anisotropy is dependent on shape. This can be explained by the variation of the rotational Péclet number, Pe_r, inside the contractions. This quantity is a measure of the importance of the mean rate of the strain relative to the orientational diffusion. We have shown that when Pe_r < 10 turbulence can significantly influence the evolution of the orientation anisotropy. Since in contractions with identical inlet conditions the streamwise position where Pe_r = 10 depends on the shape, the orientation anisotropy is dependent on the variation of rate of strain in a given contraction. We demonstrate the shape effect by considering contraction with flat walls as well as three contractions with different mean rate of strain variation.     

The flow behavior of fiber suspensions in Newtonian fluids and polymer solutions.

This is the second part of a study examining the mechanical properties and capillary flow of fiber suspensions in Newtonian fluids and in polymer solutions. In part I results for the viscous and elastic properties of the fiber suspensions were presented and it was shown that the fiber suspensions exhibited normal stresses in Newtonian as well as in viscoelastic suspending media. It was thus expected that circulating secondary flows would occur near the entrance to a capillary. Four types of fillers (glass, carbon, nylon and vinylon fibers) suspended in glycerin, HEC solutions and Separan solutions were investigated. The entrance flow patterns were visualized and the pressure fluctuations measured. The visualization enabled the eddies occurring in the fiber suspensions in Newtonian fluids to be analysed and classified into two tpyes. The results from the flow visualization were correlated with the pressure fluctuations. Empirical equations for the tube length correction factor due to the elasticity were obtained.     

Theoretical research on rotational dispersion coefficient of fiber in turbulent shear flow of fiber suspension

The rotational dispersion coefficient of the fiber in the turbulent shear flow of fiber suspension was studied theoretically. The function of correlation moment between the different fluctuating velocity gradients of the flow was built firstly. Then the expression, dependent on the characteristic length, time, velocity and a dimensionless parameter related to the effect of wall, of rotational dispersion coefficient is derived. The derived expression of rotational dispersion coefficient can be employed to the inhomogeneous and non-isotropic turbulent flows. Furthermore it can be expanded to three-dimensional turbulent flows and serves the theoretical basis for solving the turbulent flow of fiber suspension.     

research on rotational dispersion coefficient of fiber in turbulent shear flow of fiber suspension

The rotational dispersion coefficient of the fiber in the turbulent shear flow of fiber suspension was studied theoretically. The function of correlation moment between the different fluctuating velocity gradients of the flow was built firstly. Then the expres- sion, dependent on the characteristic length, time, velocity and a dimensionless parameter related to the effect of wall, of rotational dispersion coefficient is derived. The derived expression of rotational dispersion coefficient can be employed to the inhomogeneous and non-isotropic turbulent flows. Furthermore it can be expanded to three-dimensional turbulent flows and serves the theoretical basis for solving the turbulent flow of fiber suspension.     

Investigation of fiber motion near solid boundaries in simple shear flow

In this paper, fiber motion near a planar wall was investigated using a planar shear flow apparatus. Fibers were placed (one at a time) perpendicular to the flow direction at various locations throughout the flow field. The location and orientation of each fiber versus time was measured, using an image processing system, until the fiber aligned with the flow direction. When the centroid of the fiber was located at distances greater than a fiber length from the wall, Jeffery's equations governing particle motion were verified. For distances less than a fiber length and greater than a fiber diameter from the wall, the fiber experienced an increased rate of rotation. In this regime, the motion of the fiber could be described by Jeffery's equations if an increased effective shear rate was used. The effective shear rate was found to increase logarithmically with decreasing separation distance. The wall effect was higher for longer aspect ratio fibers and was also a function of orientation; fibers oriented perpendicular to the wall rotated faster than those oriented parallel to the wall at the same separation distance. Once the fiber aligned with the flow direction, it ceased to rotate within the field of view. In this orientation, the wall had a stabilizing effect on the fiber. In efforts to relate the increase in shear rate to the aspect ratio of the fiber and the separation distance between the fiber and a solid wall, a translation model based on the work of De Mestre and Russel was explored. This model allows one to quantify the increase in shear rate experienced by the fiber due to the presence of a wall or obstruction in the flow field. However, the model has its limitations and care should be taken when applying this model outside its realm of validity. When compared to experimental data, the translation model provides a very good estimate of the increased shear rate experienced by the fiber when it is located less than 2/3 of a fiber length from a planar wall. Received: 20 April 2000 Accepted: 28 September 2000     

On the non-linear instability of fiber suspensions in a Poiseuille flow

The non-linear instability characteristics of fiber suspensions in a plane Poiseuille flow are investigated. The evolution equation of the perturbation amplitude analogous to Landau equation is formulated and solved numerically for different fiber parameters. It is found that the equilibrium amplitude decreases with the increase of the fiber aspect ratio and volume fraction, i.e. the addition of the fibers reduces the amplitude of the perturbation, and leads to the reduction of the flow instability. This phenomenon becomes significant for large volume concentration and aspect ratio. The mechanism of the reduction of the flow instability is also analyzed by taking into account of the modification of the mean flow and the energy transfer from the mean flow to the perturbation flow.     

Effects of polymer–fiber interactions on rheology and flow behavior of suspensions of semi-flexible fibers in polymeric liquids

Rheological properties of suspensions of fibers in polymeric fluids are influenced by fiber–polymer interactions. In this paper, we investigate this influence from both experimental and modeling standpoints. In the experimental part of this investigation, we have changed the fiber–polymer interactions by treating the surface of the fibers. The resulting effects are observed using scanning electron microscopy and dynamic mechanical analysis techniques and quantified from the measurements of the viscosity in the start-up of shear flows and dynamic tests in the linear viscoelastic range region. The results are interpreted with the help of a mesoscopic rheological model developed for suspensions of fibers in viscoelastic fluids.     

Experiments on the linear instability of flow in a wavy channel

The effects of wall corrugation on the stability of wall-bounded shear flows have been examined experimentally in plane channel flows. One of the channel walls has been modified by introduction of the wavy wall model with the amplitude of 4% of the channel half height and the wave number of 1.02. The experiment is focused on the two-dimensional travelling wave instability and the results are compared with the theory [J.M. Floryan, Two-dimensional instability of flow in a rough channel, Phys. Fluids 17 (2005) 044101 (also: Rept. ESFD-1/2003, Dept. of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, 2003)]. It is shown that the flow is destabilized by the wall corrugation at subcritical Reynolds numbers below 5772, as predicted by the theory. For the present corrugation geometry, the critical Reynolds number is decreased down to about 4000. The spatial growth rates, the disturbance wave numbers and the distribution of disturbance amplitude measured over such wavy wall also agree well with the theoretical results.