A model for film-forming with Newtonian and shear-thinning fluids

The formation of a thin film by (i) the slow penetration of a gas bubble into a liquid filled tube, (ii) the withdrawal of a planar substrate from a liquid filled gap, is investigated theoretically for the cases of both Newtonian and shear-thinning liquids; the latter conforming to either a power–law or Ellis model. Formulated as a boundary value problem underpinned by lubrication theory, the analysis gives rise to a system of ordinary differential equations which are solved numerically subject to appropriate boundary conditions. For Newtonian liquids comparison of the predicted residual film thickness for a wide range of capillary number, Ca  (10⁻⁴, 10), is made with others obtained using existing expressions, including the classical one of Bretherton, in the region of parameter space over which they apply. In the case of (i), prediction of the behaviour of the residual fluid fraction and gap-to-film thickness ratio, for a Newtonian liquid and one that is shear-thinning and modelled via a power–law, is found to be in particularly good agreement with experimental data for Ca < 0.2. For (ii), both shear-thinning models are utilized and contour plots of residual film thickness generated as a function of Ca and the defining parameters characteristic of each model.     

Excess pressure drop and drag calculations for strain-hardening fluids with mild shear-thinning: Contraction and falling sphere problems

This study extends our previous analysis on pressure-drops for strain-hardening Boger-type fluids in contraction flow settings, into those fluids that manifest mild shear-thinning properties. Numerical simulations are compared and contrasted for a variety of constitutive equations, categorised through their differences in viscometric functional response, considering application on 4:1:4 contraction-expansion flow and 2:1 flow past a sphere. Here, prior results on pressure-drop enhancement for constant shear-viscosity fluids have revealed the counter-influences of first normal stress differences and extensional viscosity. The present comparative work advances this study by selectively including the effects of shear-thinning. Suitable models to accomplish this are chosen from the class of Phan-Thien/Tanner (PTT) models, with cross-reference to FENE-models and Oldroyd-B. Furthermore, the work explores the falling sphere problem with comparison of the drag coefficient factor for various implementations. The numerical computations are performed by appealing to a well-founded hybrid finite element/finite volume algorithm, using structured triangular meshing, semi-implicit time-stepping and subcell technology. The cell-vertex finite volume scheme is particularly suited to the solution of the stress subsystem, and invokes fluctuation-distribution for upwinding and median-dual-cells for source-term representation.     

Some further observations on the creeping motion of spheres through Ellis model fluids

Using the formulation of Hopke and Slattery, upper and lower bounds on the drag coefficient of a sphere moving slowly in Ellis model fluids have been calculated, over wide range of conditions, and compared with the suitable experimental data available in the literature. C _D drag coefficient - d diameter of sphere - El Ellis number - Re Reynolds number based on zero-shear viscosity - V terminal falling velocity of a sphere - X drag correction factor - Ellis model parameter - ₀ zero-shear viscosity - _1/2 Ellis model parameter     

CFD modeling of pressure drop and drag coefficient in fixed beds: Wall effects

Simulations of fixed beds having column to particle diameter ratio (D/dp ) of 3, 5 and 10 were performed in the creeping, transition and turbulent flow regimes, where Reynolds number (dp VLL/L ) was varied from 0.1 to 10,000. The deviations from Ergun’s equation due to the wall effects, which are important in D/d p<15 beds were well explained by the CFD simulations. Thus, an increase in the pressure drop was observed due to the wall friction in the creeping flow, whereas, in turbulent regime a decrease in t...     

New formula for drag coefficient of cylindrical particles

The drag force on a cylindrical particle is calculated using lattice Boltzmann method.The results show that the drag coefficient of a particle with different orientation angles decreases with increasing Reynolds number.When the principal axis of the particle is parallel to flow,the drag coefficient is much larger than that of others and decreases fastest with increasing Reynolds number,which becomes more obvious with increasing particle aspect ratio.When the principal axis of the particle is inclined to flo...     

A robust algorithm for moving interface of multi-material fluids based on Riemann solutions

In the paper, the numerical simulation of interface problems for multiple material fluids is studied. The level set function is designed to capture the location of the material interface. For multi-dimensional and multi-material fluids, the modified ghost fluid method needs a Riemann solution to renew the variable states near the interface. Here we present a new convenient and effective algorithm for solving the Riemann problem in the normal direction. The extrapolated variables are populated by Taylor series expansions in the direction. The anti-diffusive high order WENO difference scheme with the limiter is adopted for the numerical simulation. Finally we implement a series of numerical experiments of multi-material flows. The obtained results are satisfying, compared to those by other methods.The English text was polished by Boyi Wang.     

Shear rheology of polymer solutions near the critical condition for elastic instability

The use of constant viscosity, highly elastic polymer solutions, so called Boger fluids, has been remarkably successful in elucidating the behavior of polymeric materials under flowing conditions. However, the behavior of these fluids is still complicated by many different physical processes occurring within a narrow window of observation time and applied shear rate. In this study, we investigate the long-time shear behavior of an ideal Boger fluid: a well characterized, athermal, dilute, binary solution of high molecular weight polystyrene in oligomeric polystyrene. Rheological measurements show that under an applied steady shear flow, this family of polymer solutions undergoes a transient decay of normal stresses on a timescale much longer than the polymer molecule's relaxation time. Rheological and flow visualization results demonstrate that the observed phenomenon is not caused by polymer degradation, phase separation, viscous heating, or secondary flows from elastic instabilities. Although the timescale is much shorter than that associated with polymer migration in the same solutions (MacDonald and Muller, 1996), the appearance of this phenomenon only at the rates where migration has been observed suggests that it may be a prerequisite for observing migration. In addition, we note that through sufficient preshearing of the sample, the normal stress decrease suppresses the elastic instability. These results show that there is considerable uncertainty in choosing the appropriate measure of the fluid relaxation time for consistently modeling the critical condition for the elastic instability, the decay of normal stresses, and the migration of polymer species.     

Wave drag of an ellipsoid of revolution rapidly moving in a horizontal direction in a uniformly stratified fluid

The problem of the wave drag of ellipsoids moving in a uniformly stratified ideal fluid is considered by means of modeling the bodies by surface distributions of mass sources. Analytical results are obtained using the distributions known from the theory of a uniform fluid, which make it possible to describe the emission of internal waves by rapidly moving ellipsoids of revolution (spheroids) in the limit of large Froude numbers. An asymptotically simplified form of the dependence of the wave drag on the Froude number and the spheroid axis ratio is found. In the particular case of a sphere, the result confirmed earlier by Greenslade by making comparisons with a numerical calculation and experimental data is obtained.     

Comparison between the HAM and HPM solutions of thin film flows of non-Newtonian fluids on a moving belt

In this paper, we prove in general that the homotopy perturbation method (HPM) proposed in 1998 is only a special case of the homotopy analysis method (HAM) profound in 1992 when ħ = −1. Besides, by using the thin film flows of Sisko and Oldroyd 6-constant fluids on a moving belt as examples, we show that the solutions given by HPM (Siddiqui, A.M., Ahmed, M., Ghori, Q.K.: Chaos Solitons and Fractals (2006) in press) are divergent, and thus useless. However, by choosing a proper value of the auxiliary parameter ħ, we give convergent series solution by means of the HAM. These two examples also show that, different from the HPM and other traditional analytic techniques, the HAM indeed provides us with a simple way to ensure the convergence of the solution.     

Self-similar solutions for displacement of non-Newtonian fluids through porous media

This paper presents a class of self-similar solutions describing piston-like displacement (single-phase flow is included as a special case) of one slightly compressible non-Newtonian, power-law, dilatant fluid by another through a homogeneous, isotropic porous medium. These solutions can be used to evaluate the validity and accuracy of existing approximate solutions, such as the assumption of constant flow rate at each radial distance that Ikoku and Ramey use to linearize the partial differential equation for the flow of non-Newtonian, power-law fluid through a porous medium.Nomenclature a parameter, defined by (A8) - A cross-section area of linear reservoir - B constant - c fluid compressibility - c _f formation compressibility - c _t system compressibility - c t dimensionless system compressibility, defined by (24) - C constant of integration - D _I dimensionless coefficient, directly proportional to injection rate, for linear displacement case, defined by (22). - D ₂ dimensionless coefficient, directly proportional to injection rate, for radial displacement case, defined by (55) - erf(x) error function - ercf(x) complementary error function - Ei(x) exponential integral - f dimensionless pressure, defined by (10) - h formation thickness - k permeability - l linear location of moving boundary between the displacing and displaced fluids - n flow behavior parameter - p pressure - p _i injection pressure - p ₀ initial pressure; reference pressure - p ₀ dimensionless initial pressure, defined by (19) - q injection rate - r radial distance - R radial location of moving boundary between the displacing and displaced fluids - t time - u superficial velocity - U substitution of variable - x linear distance - _e effective viscosity - _e dimensionless effective viscosity, defined by (24) - dimensionless variable, defined by (9) or (45) - _i0 value of corresponding to the location of the moving boundary between the displacing and displaced fluids - density - ₀ value of density at reference pressure - porosity - ₀ value of porosity at reference pressure - 1 displacing fluid - 2 displaced fluid     

Degradation effects of dilute polymer solutions on turbulent drag reduction in pipe flows

An important practical problem in the application and study of drag reduction by polymer additives is the degradation of the polymer, for instance due to intense shearing, especially in recirculatory flow systems. Such degradation leads to a marked loss of the drag-reducing capability of the polymer.Three different polymer types were tested on degradation effects in a closed pipe flow system. The polymers used were Polyox WSR-301, Separan AP-273 and Superfloc A-110, dissolved in water in concentrations of 20 wppm each. The flow system consisted of a 16.3 mm pipe of 4.25 m length. Two different pumps were used: a centrifugal pump and a disc pump. Different solution-preparation procedures were tried and the experiments were performed at different flow rates.Superfloc A-110 proved to be both the most effective drag reducer and most resistant to degradation. Because of very fast degradation, Polyox WSR-301 was found to be unsuitable for being used as a drag reducer in re-circulatory systems. The disc pump proved to be much better suited for pumping the polymer solutions than the centrifugal pump. The degradation curve of the combination Superfloc/disc pump showed a plateau-like region with reasonable drag reduction, which makes it possible to perform (laser Doppler) measurements under nearly constant circumstances during a sufficient time.     

Dynamic interaction of an oscillating sphere and an elastic cylindrical shell filled with a fluid and immersed in an elastic medium

The paper studies the interaction of a harmonically oscillating spherical body and a thin elastic cylindrical shell filled with a perfect compressible fluid and immersed in an infinite elastic medium. The geometrical center of the sphere is located on the cylinder axis. The acoustic approximation, the theory of thin elastic shells based on the Kirchhoff—Love hypotheses, and the Lamé equations are used to model the motion of the fluid, shell, and medium, respectively. The solution method is based on the possibility of representing partial solutions of the Helmholtz equations written in cylindrical coordinates in terms of partial solutions written in spherical coordinates, and vice versa. Satisfying the boundary conditions at the shell—medium and shell—fluid interfaces and at the spherical surface produces an infinite system of algebraic equations with coefficients in the form of improper integrals of cylindrical functions. This system is solved by the reduction method. The behavior of the hydroelastic system is analyzed against the frequency of forced oscillations.Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 40, No. 9, pp. 75–86, September 2004.     

Purely elastic interfacial instabilities in superposed flow of polymeric fluids

Purely elastic interfacial stability of superposed plane Poiseuille flow of polymeric liquids has been investigated utilizing both asymptotic and numerical techniques. It is shown that these instabilities are caused by an unfavorable jump in the first normal stress difference across the fluid interface. To determine the significance of these instabilities in finite experimental geometries, a comparison between the maximum growth rates of purely elastic instabilities with instabilities driven primarily by a viscosity or a combined viscosity and elasticity difference is made. Based on this comparison, it is shown that purely elastic interfacial instabilities can play a major role in superposed flow of polymeric liquids in finite experimental geometries.     

Spontaneous symmetry-breaking in the 3-D wake of a long cylinder simulated by the lattice gas method and drag coefficient measurements

We present a direct numerical simulation by the lattice gas method of the three-dimensional non-stationary incompressible flow at a Reynolds number of 74, past a circular cylinder, with a uniform incident flow. We describe the three-dimensional structure and the time-evolution of the wake, which leads to an oblique vortex shedding situation.We also present early results on measurements of drag coefficients for spheres and cylinders at a Reynolds number of 20.     

Flow of Maxwell fluids in porous media

In this paper we analyze the flow of a Maxwell fluid in a rigid porous medium using the method of volume averaging. We first present the local volume averaged momentum equation which contains Darcy-scale elastic effects and undetermined integrals of the spatial deviations of the pressure and velocity. A closure problem is developed in order to determine the spatial deviations and thus obtain a closed form of the momentum equation that contains a time-dependent permeability tensor. To gain some insight into the effects of elasticity on the dynamics of flow in porous media, the entire problem is transformed to the frequency domain through a temporal Fourier transform. This leads to a dynamic generalization of Darcy's law. Analytical results are provided for the case in which the porous medium is modeled as a bundle of capillary tubes, and a scheme is presented to solve the transformed closure problem for a general microstructure.     

Some possible alternative solutions of near-tip fields for steady crack growth in elastic perfectly-plastic media

Some possible alternative solutions of near-tip fields are studied for plane-strain Mode—I quasi-static steady crack growth in incompressible (ν=1/2) elastic perfectly-plastic media. A group of four-sector solutions and a three-sector solution in which the elastic-unloading region vanishes are given. Stress functions, plastic flow factors and plastic strains in each region are also given. Project supported by the State Education Commission under a funding program for Excellent University Young Faculties and National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

Global existence and uniqueness of solutions for the equations of third grade fluids

We consider the equations governing the motion of third grade fluids in . We show global existence of solutions without any smallness assumption, by assuming only that the initial velocity belongs to the Sobolev space H². The uniqueness of such solutions is also proven in dimension two.     

Buckling of embedded microtubules in elastic medium

Motivated by the application of Winkler-like models for the buckling analysis of embedded carbon nanotubes, an orthotropic Winkler-like model is developed to study the buckling behavior of embedded cytoskeletal microtubules within the cytoplasm. Experimental observations of the buckling of embedded cytoskeletal microtubules reveal that embedded microtubules bear a large compressive force as compared with free microtubules. The present theoretical model predicts that embedded microtubules in an elastic medium bear large compressive forces than free microtubules. The estimated critical pressure is in good agreement with the experimental values of the pressure-induced buckling of microtubules. Moreover, due to the mechanical coupling of microtubules with the surrounding elastic medium, the critical buckling force is increased considerably, which well explains the theory that the mechanical coupling of microtubules with an elastic medium increases compressive forces that microtubules can sustain. The model presented in the paper is a good approximation for the buckling analysis of embedded microtubules.     

Propogation of waves in a linear elastic fluid

The non-classical symmetry method is used to determine particular forms of the arbitrary velocity and forcing terms in a linear wave equation used to model the propogation of waves in a linear elastic fluid. The behaviour of solutions derived using the non-classical symmetry method are discussed. Solutions satisfy a given initial profile and wave velocity. For some solutions the arbitrary forcing terms and wave velocity can be written in terms of the initial wave profile. Relationships between the arbitrary forcing, arbitrary velocity and the solution are derived.