Shear viscosity of settling suspensions

Summary A new apparatus is presented which allows the determination of the viscosity of suspensions of high density particles in low viscosity media. Results obtained on suspensions of low density particles compare well with those obtained on a Weissenberg Rheogoniometer equipped with a cone-and-plate and a bob-and-cup. Also, a very interesting observation is that the Eilers equation, conveniently modified to take into account the shape of the particles by means of the intrinsic viscosity, can well correlate all the data.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird ein neues Gerät beschrieben, das die Bestimmung der Viskosität von Suspensionen mit Teilchen hoher Dichte in niedrig viskosen Flüssigkeiten ermöglicht. Die an Suspensionen von Teilchen mit niedriger Dichte erhaltenen Ergebnisse stimmen gut mit den mittels eines Weissenberg-Rheogoniometers gewonnenen überein, das entweder mit einer Kegel-Platte- oder einer Koaxial-Zylinder-Meßeinrichtung ausgerüstet war. Als ein überraschendes Ergebnis stellt sich heraus, daß die Eilers-Gleichung, zum Zweck der Erfassung der Teilchenform mit Hilfe des Staudinger-Index in bequemer Weise modifiziert, alle experimentellen Daten gut zu korrelieren imstande ist.

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Nomenclature shear rate (sec^–1) - viscosity (Poise) - _r relative viscosity - [] intrinsic viscosity - volume concentration - _max maximum volume concentration With 7 figures and 3 tables     

Dynamics of dual-particles settling under gravity

As a first step towards understanding particle–particle interaction in fluid flows, the motion of two spherical particles settling in close proximity under gravity in Newtonian fluids was investigated experimentally for particle Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.01 to 2000. It was observed that particles repel each other for Re>0.1 and that the separation distance of settling particles is Reynolds number dependent. At lower Reynolds numbers, i.e. for Re<0.1, particles settling under gravity do not separate.The orientation preference of two spherical particles was found to be Reynolds number dependent. At higher Reynolds numbers, the line connecting the centres of the two particles is always horizontal, regardless of the way the two particles are launched. At lower Reynolds numbers, however, the particle centreline tends to tilt to an arbitrary angle, even of the two particles are launched in the horizontal plane. Because of the tilt, a side migration of the two particles was found to exist. A linear theory was developed to estimate the side migration velocity. It was found that the maximum side migration velocity is approximately 6% of the vertical settling velocity, in good agreement with the experimental results.Counter-rotating spinning of the two particles was observed and measured in the range of Re=0–10. Using the linear model, it is possible to estimate the influence of the tilt angle on the rate of rotation at low Reynolds numbers. Dual particles settle faster than a single particle at small Reynolds numbers but not at higher Reynolds numbers, because of particle separation. The variation of particle settling velocity with Reynolds number is presented. An equation which can be used to estimate the influence of tilt angle on particle settling velocity at low Reynolds number is also derived.     

The sedimentation of polydisperse suspensions in vessels having inclined walls

A theory is presented for describing the sedimentation of polydisperse suspensions in two-dimensional channels having walls that are inclined to the vertical. The theory assumes that the flow is laminar and that the suspension consists of spherical beads having small particle Reynolds numbers. The suspension may consist of either $\text{N}$ distinct species of particles or of a continuum of particle sizes and densities. For the sake of simplicity, the analysis is mostly confined to the case in which the hindered settling velocity of each particle is given by its Stokes settling velocity multiplied by a function of the total local solids concentration. Under these conditions, results are developed that are useful for the design of either batch or continuous settling devices. Experimental observations were found to be in good agreement with the predictions of the present theory.     

The settling of suspensions promoted by rigid buoyant particles

When substantial numbers of buoyant particles are mixed with a sedimenting suspension of heavy particles, the two types of solids undergo rapid lateral segregation from each other. Streams 3–5 mm in diameter containing the less populous species form and flow through a concentrated continuum suspension of the more populous species. This buoyancy driven convection results in greatly enhanced sedimentation rates. A theory is developed on the premise that streams move in plug flow with all resistance to motion confined to a thin lubricating layer at the strean-continuum interface. The model is compared with experimental data and is shown to account correctly for the effect of each system parameter on the observed settling rates.     

Size segregation and particle velocity fluctuations in settling concentrated suspensions

We investigate the sedimentation of concentrated suspensions at low Reynolds numbers to study collective particle effects on local particle velocity fluctuations and size segregation effects. Experiments are carried out with polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA) spheres of two different mean diameters (190 and 25 μm) suspended in a hydrophobic index-matched fluid. Spatial repartitions of both small and large spheres and velocity fluctuations of particles are measured using fluorescently labelled PMMA spheres and a particle image velocimetry method. We also report measurements of the interstitial fluid pressure during settling. Experiments show that size segregation effects can occur during the sedimentation of concentrated suspensions of either quasi-monodisperse or bidisperse spheres. Size segregation is correlated to the organisation of the sedimentation velocity field into vortex-like structures of finite size. A loss of size segregation together with a significant decrease of the fluid pressure gradient in the bulk suspension is observed when the size of vortex-like structures gets on the order of the container size. However, the emergence of channels through the settling zone prevents a complete loss of size segregation in very concentrated suspensions.     

Detonation waves in polydisperse gas suspensions of monofuel in tubes with an abrupt expansion

The distinctive features of detonation wave propagation in polydisperse (double-fraction) gas suspensions of a monofuel in tubes with an abrupt expansion are numerically investigated. Numerical calculations are performed for different sizes and relative mass contents of the particles of both fractions. A comparative analysis of the effect of mono- and polydisperse monofuel particles on the detonation wave mitigation is made. The dependences of the critical tube-diameter ratio of a sectional pipeline on the relative mass content and polydispersity of monofuel particles with different sizes are presented.     

Evolution of shock waves in polydisperse gas suspensions with a nonuniform particle concentration distribution

The results of a numerical investigation of the laws of shock wave propagation in polydisperse (two-fraction) gas suspensions with a non-uniform initial particle concentration distribution are presented. Examples of shock wave propagation in extended layers of a gas suspension with linearly increasing, linearly decreasing and sinusoidal laws of variation of the particle concentration are considered. It is shown that when shock waves pass through layers of a gas suspension with increasing and decreasing laws of variation of the particle concentration, respectively, amplification and attenuation of the waves are observed; when shock waves travel through gas suspensions with a periodic law of variation of the particle concentration the pressure distribution behind the wave fronts is nonmonotonic. The solutions corresponding to polydisperse and monodisperse gas suspensions with an effective particle size are examined. The nonequilibrium and thermodynamic-equilibrium solutions are compared.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 5, pp. 183–190, September–October, 1991.     

Detonation waves in polydisperse gas suspensions of unitary fuel having a continuous particle size distribution function

Institute of the Mechanics of Multiphase Systems, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 625000 Tyumen'. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 36, No. 6, pp. 14–24, November–December, 1995.     

The effect of unsteady and history forces in the gravity convection of suspensions

The effect of unsteady and history forces on the motion of a particle is studied in the case of gravitational sedimentation (rise) of a spherical particle in the harmonic velocity field of a viscous carrier phase. An algorithm is proposed to calculate the history Basset-Boussinesq force. A parameter range is found for the case when the consideration of unsteady and history forces is required to correctly describe the mesoscale motions in a settling (rising) suspension.     

On convective stability of suspensions

Convective flow onset in a dilute suspension filling a horizontal layer heated from below is studied analytically. It is shown that at a certain concentration of the suspension, instead of Rayleigh cells, lower-scale eddies surrounding each of the dispersed-phase particles may appear in the system.Perm. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 3, pp. 44–47, May–June, 1996.     

On hindered settling of particles of different sizes

The flow of a non-dilute fluid suspension is considered in which the dispersed phase consists of particles or droplets of different sizes. A phenomenological two-phase flow theory is formulated for both continuous and discrete distributions of particle sizes and illustrated by considering the batch settling of such a mixture. The volume fractions and particle distribution functions are determined, as well as the composition of the sedimentary layer.     

On the effective viscosity of pseudoplastic suspensions

Summary An expression is developed that predicts the concentration dependence of the apparent viscosity of a concentrated pseudoplastic suspension. The result, which is an extension of the Frankel and Acrivos Newtonian suspension analysis, shows that the influence of particles concentration on the effective viscosity of pseudoplastic suspensions increases as the power law index of the suspension increases. Experimental data shows good agreement with the theoretical predictions.With 8 figures     

On the behavior of fine mud suspensions

Flows of natural mud-water mixtures are of great interest for industrial and civil engineering. But there is still no general agreement about the methods for determining the main rheological characteristics of these systems. We propose here an accurate rheological study of some natural mud-water mixtures. We first discuss the possible effects of changing various parameters such as temperature, pH, electrolyte concentration, solid concentration, clay type. The behavior of these muds appears to be very sensitive to most of these parameters and to be hardly predictable from a knowledge of their components. Then, we show that a Herschel-Bulkley model fits very well steady flow experimental data for a very large range of shear rates. We also suggest physical explanations of this model in agreement with our observations of behavior changes when some parameters change. The yield stress value of this model provides a good estimation of real yield stress which is a key parameter for mixture behavior. These considerations are very useful to characterize, predict, and compare various mud flows.     

Conditions of stability and instability for a pair of arbitrarily stratified compressible fluids in an arbitrary non-uniform gravity field

The work continues and develops authors’ previous investigation of stability in the small for a two-layer system of inhomogeneous compressible fluids in the uniform gravity field. Here we present a solution of a similar problem in the case of arbitrary non-uniform potential gravity field. The equilibrium stratification of both density and elastic properties of the fluids is supposed arbitrary, as well as the shape of open on top reservoir filled by the fluids. The problem of stability of equilibrium is analyzed as the corresponding problem for the non-linearly elastic bodies, basing on the static energy criterion with regard for the boundary conditions at all parts of the boundary. The crucial element of the analysis is conversion of the quadratic functional of second variation of total potential energy of the system into a “canonical” form that enables to determine its sign. Making use of this canonical form, we obtain almost coinciding with each other necessary and sufficient conditions for stability (those being valid also for an arbitrary number of layers).     

On material representation and constitutive branching in finite compressible elasticity

The mechanical properties of two porous rubbers of different compressibility have been investigated experimentally and represented by aid of a particular isotropic strain-energy function constructed by means of separable distortional and dilatational terms. It is shown that a reduced form of the adopted strain-energy function offers definite advantages for evaluation of experimental data and reproduces well the behaviour of the investigated materials under three different loadings; uniaxial tension, plane strain tension and equibiaxial tension. The possibility of homogeneous branching from fundamental paths of the associated motions is examined and illustrated in detail for axisymmetric loading employing constitutive properties pertinent to the two materials tested.