Stability of viscoelastic shear flows in the limit of high Weissenberg and Reynolds numbers

We consider a limit of the upper convected Maxwell model where both the Weissenberg and Reynolds numbers are large. The limiting equations have a status analogous to that of the Euler equations for the high Reynolds number limit. These equations admit parallel shear flows with an arbitrary profile of velocity and normal stress. We consider the stability of these flows. An extension of Howard’s semicircle theorem can be used to show that the flow is stabilized if elastic effects are sufficiently strong. We also show how to analyze the long wave limit in a fashion similar to the inviscid case.     

On the non-linear stability of parallel shear flows

The non-linear stability of parallel shear flows in incompressible fluids is studied by the Lyapunov method for stress-free boundary conditions. It is shown that plane Couette flows and plane Poiseuille flows are asymptotically stable for all Reynolds numbers.     

Nonlinear stability of flows of Jeffreys fluids at low Weissenberg numbers

We consider the stability of steady flows of viscoelastic fluids of Jeffreys type. For sufficiently small Weissenberg numbers, but arbitrary Reynolds numbers, it is proved that the flow is stable to small disturbances if the spectrum of the linearized operator is in the left half plane.     

On Oseen flows for large Reynolds numbers

This investigation offers a detailed analysis of solutions to the two-dimensional Oseen problem in the exterior of an obstacle for large Reynolds numbers. It is motivated by mathematical results highlighting the important role played by the Oseen flows in characterizing the asymptotic structure of steady solutions to the Navier–Stokes problem at large distances from the obstacle. We compute solutions of the Oseen problem based on the series representation discovered by Tomotika and Aoi (Q J Mech Appl Math 3:140–161, 1950) where the expansion coefficients are determined numerically. Since the resulting algebraic problem suffers from very poor conditioning, the solution process involves the use of very high arithmetic precision. The effect of different numerical parameters on the accuracy of the computed solutions is studied in detail. While the corresponding inviscid problem admits many different solutions, we show that the inviscid flow proposed by Stewartson (Philos Mag 1:345–354, 1956) is the limit that the viscous Oseen flows converge to as Re → ∞. We also draw some comparisons with the steady Navier–Stokes flows for large Reynolds numbers.     

On the stability of shear flows in nematics

A theoretical study of the effect of an applied magnetic field on the stability of the flow of nematic slabs subjected to an arbitrary shear is presented. Homeotropic boundary conditions with strong anchoring and a constant magnetic field applied perpendicular to the plates are considered. We discuss the general conditions on the control parameters under which the flow is stable, for a low molecular weight liquid crystal and for a polymer liquid crystal, and obtain estimations of the critical values.     

Stability of arbitrary plane shear flows of viscoelastic fluids with fading memory

By appropriate choosing the time scale, any fluid within a class described by Coleman and Noll [6] will have rapidly fading memory. For this class of fluids equations are derived which govern the perturbations of arbitrary plane shear flows. These equations contain the equations of Becker [3] as a special case. On the basis of them it is shown that for large enough shear rate the local stress power generated by the perturbations is non-positive. Results relating to the stress power obtained by Akbay and Sponagel [2] on the basis of Becker's [3] equations are placed in context.     

On stability of rapid granular shear flows

We study stability properties of rapid granular flows that are described by the balance laws of mass, momentum and fluctuation energy with phenomenological relationships based upon dimensional arguments [12, 13]. Small disturbances propagating perpendicular to the shear plane are only studied. Calculations show that such flows are stable at small free path lengths of the granules but unstable if free path lengths are large. Received June 17, 1997     

Time-dependent simulation of viscoelastic flows at high Weissenberg number using the log-conformation representation

We present a second-order finite-difference scheme for viscoelastic flows based on a recent reformulation of the constitutive laws as equations for the matrix logarithm of the conformation tensor. We present a simple analysis that clarifies how the passage to logarithmic variables remedies the high-Weissenberg numerical instability. As a stringent test, we simulate an Oldroyd-B fluid in a lid-driven cavity. The scheme is found to be stable at large values of the Weissenberg number. These results support our claim that the high Weissenberg numerical instability may be overcome by the use of logarithmic variables. Remaining issues are rather concerned with accuracy, which degrades with insufficient resolution.     

Non-linear temporal stability analysis of viscoelastic plane channel flows using a fully-spectral method

A non-linear analysis of the temporal evolution of finite, two-dimensional disturbances is conducted for plane Poiseuille and Couette flows of viscoelastic fluids. A fully-spectral method of solution is used with a stream-function formulation of the problem. The upper-convected Maxwell (UCM), Oldroyd-B and Giesekus models are considered. The bifurcation of solutions for increasing elasticity is investigated both in the high and low Reynolds number regimes. The transition mechanism is discussed in terms of both the transient linear growth of misfit disturbances due to non-normality, and their possible saturation into finite-amplitude periodic solutions due to non-linear effects.     

Localized disturbances in parallel shear flows

The development of localized disturbances in parallel shear flows is reviewed. The inviscid case is considered, first for a general velocity profile and then in the special case of plane Couette flow so as to bring out the key asymptotic results in an explicit form. In this context, the distinctive differences between the wave-packet associated with the asymptotic behavior of eigenmodes and the non-dispersive (inviscid) continuous spectrum is highlighted. The largest growth is found for three-dimensional disturbances and occurs in the normal vorticity component. It is due to an algebraic instability associated with the lift-up effect. Comparison is also made between the analytical results and some numerical calculations.Next the viscous case is treated, where the complete solution to the initial value problem is presented for bounded flows using eigenfunction expansions. The asymptotic, wave-packet type behaviour is analyzed using the method of steepest descent and kinematic wave theory. For short times, on the other hand, transient growth can be large, particularly for three-dimensional disturbances. This growth is associated with cancelation of non-orthogonal modes and is the viscous equivalent of the algebraic instability. The maximum transient growth possible to obtain from this mechanism is also presented, the so called optimal growth.Lastly the application of the dynamics of three dimensional disturbances in modeling of coherent structures in turbulent flows is discussed.     

On the cyclone-anticyclone asymmetry in the stability of rotating shear flows

The manifestations of the cyclone-anticyclone asymmetry on the stability of rotating shear flows are investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The stability of certain classes of shear flows, namely, rotating tangential discontinuities and flows with a constant shear, is analyzed. The dependence of the disturbance growth rate on the sign and absolute value of the shear is determined. The three-dimensional disturbances leading to longitudinal flow modulations are shown to be most dangerous. The results of the observations of the cyclone-anticyclone asymmetry effect in the laboratory conditions are presented.     

Highly parallel time integration of viscoelastic flows

A highly parallel time integration method is presented for calculating viscoelastic flows with the DEVSS-G/DG finite element discretization. The method is a synthesis of an operator splitting time integration method that decouples the calculation of the polymeric stress by solution of a hyperbolic constitutive equation from the evolution of the velocity and pressure fields by solution of a generalized Stokes problem. Both steps are performed in parallel. The discontinuous finite element discretization of the hyperbolic constitutive equation leads to highly-parallel element-by-element calculation of the stress at each time step. The Stokes-like problem is solved by using the BiCGStab Krylov iterative method implemented with the block complement and additive levels method (BCALM) preconditioner. The solution method is demonstrated for the calculation of two-dimensional (2D) flow of an Oldroyd-B fluid around an isolated cylinder confined between two parallel plates. These calculations use extremely fine finite elements and expose new features of the solution structure.     

Three-dimensionality of grooved channel flows at intermediate Reynolds numbers

 This paper describes the three-dimensional flow structure in grooved channels with different cavity lengths at intermediate Reynolds numbers. For steady flow, the three-dimensional effects are dominant near the side walls of the channel. However, after the onset of self-sustained oscillatory flow due to Tollmien–Schlichting waves as the primary instability, a secondary instability produces a three-dimensional flow with Taylor–Geortler-like vortical structure, at the bottom of the groove. This trend becomes more significant as the cavity length increases. Furthermore, the reason for three-dimensional flow is discussed using additional numerical analysis, and it is confirmed that the source of three-dimensional instability is the groove vortices due to the presence of side walls, rather than the channel traveling wave. Received: 7 September 1999/Accepted: 11 November 2000     

Sedimentation of particles in shear flows of viscoelastic fluids

An experimental investigation of sedimentation of single particles and concentrated suspensions in Couette flows of viscous and viscoelastic fluids is presented. With the passage from viscous to viscoelastic fluids, a slowing down of the sedimentation was observed. The sedimentation of suspensions in viscoelastic fluids accelerated with increase in the suspension concentration. The development of instabilities during the sedimentation was detected.     

Flutter of infinite elastic plates in the boundary-layer flow at finite Reynolds numbers

The stability of an infinite elastic plate in supersonic gas flow is investigated taking into account the presence of the boundary layer formed on the plate surface. The effect of viscous and temperature disturbances of the boundary layer on the behavior of traveling waves is studied at large but finite Reynolds numbers. It is shown that in the case of the small boundary layer thickness viscosity can have both stabilizing and destabilizing effect depending on the phase velocity of disturbance propagation.     

On the high Weissenberg number limit of the upper convected Maxwell fluid

We consider the equations for time-dependent creeping flow of an upper convected Maxwell fluid in the limit of infinite Weissenberg number. We identify a particular class of solutions which is analogous to potential flow and discuss several examples. We also discuss more general solutions for two-dimensional flow.