Transient squeeze flow of viscoplastic materials

The transient, axisymmetric squeezing of viscoplastic materials under creeping flow conditions is examined. The flow of the material even outside the disks is followed. Both cases of the disks moving with constant velocity or under constant force are studied. This time-dependent simulation of squeeze flow is performed for such materials in order to determine very accurately the evolution of the force or the velocity, respectively, and the distinct differences between these two experiments, the highly deforming shape and position of all the interfaces, the effect of possible slip on the disk surface, especially when the slip coefficient is not constant, and the effect of gravity. All these are impossible under the quasi-steady state condition used up to now. The exponential constitutive model, suggested by Papanastasiou, is employed. The governing equations are solved numerically by coupling the mixed finite element method with a quasi-elliptic mesh generation scheme in order to follow the large deformations of the free surface of the fluid. As the Bingham number increases, large departures from the corresponding Newtonian solution are found. When the disks are moving with constant velocity, unyielded material arises only around the two centers of the disks verifying previous works in which quasi-steady state conditions were assumed. The size of the unyielded region increases with the Bingham number, but decreases as time passes and the two disks approach each other. Their size also decreases as the slip velocity or the slip length along the disk wall increase. The force that must be applied on the disks in order to maintain their constant velocity increases significantly with the Bingham number and time and provides a first method to calculate the yield stress. On the other hand, when a constant force is applied on the disks, they slow down until they finally stop, because all the material between them becomes unyielded. The final location of the disk and the time when it stops provide another, probably easier, method to deduce the yield stress of the fluid.     

Creeping motion of a sphere in tubes filled with Herschel–Bulkley fluids

Previous numerical simulations for the flow of Bingham plastics past a sphere contained in cylindrical tubes of different diameter ratios are extended to Herschel–Bulkley fluids with the purpose of comparing them with experiments. The emphasis is on determining the extent and shape of yielded/unyielded regions along with the drag coefficient as a function of the pertinent dimensionless groups. Good overall agreement is obtained between the numerical results and the experimental studies.     

Viscoplastic flow around a cylinder kept between parallel plates

Numerical simulations have been undertaken for the creeping pressure-driven flow of a Bingham plastic past a cylinder kept between parallel plates. Different gap/cylinder diameter ratios have been studied ranging from 2:1 to 50:1. The Bingham constitutive equation is used with an appropriate modification proposed by Papanastasiou, which applies everywhere in the flow field in both the yielded and practically unyielded regions. The emphasis is on determining the extent and shape of yielded/unyielded regions along with the drag coefficient for a wide range of Bingham numbers. The present results extend previous simulations for creeping flow of a cylinder in an infinite medium and provide calculations of the drag coefficient around a cylinder in the case of wall effects.     

Numerical simulations of cessation flows of a Bingham plastic with the augmented Lagrangian method

The augmented Lagrangian/Uzawa method has been used to study benchmark one-dimensional cessation flow problems of a Bingham fluid, such as the plane Couette flow, and the plane, round, and annular Poiseuille flows. The calculated stopping times agree well with available theoretical upper bounds for the whole range of Bingham numbers and with previous numerical results. The applied method allows for easy determination of the yielded and unyielded regions. The evolution of the rigid zones in these unsteady flows is presented. It is demonstrated that the appearance of an unyielded zone near the wall occurs for any non-zero Bingham number not only in the case of a round tube but also in the case of an annular tube of small radii ratio. The advantages of using the present method instead of regularizing the constitutive equation are also discussed.     

Numerical study of the Bingham squeeze film problem

In studies of the flow of a Bingham fluid in a parallel-plate plastometer there has been disagreement about whether or not a yield surface exists, and if it does exist what shape the yield surface has.The present authors have re-exemined the problem using a finite element program and have concluded that a small plug of unyielded fluid exists adjacent to the centre of the plates. This result has been verified by replacing the unyielded plug with a solid body.     

Unsteady circular Couette flow of a Bingham plastic with the Augmented Lagrangian Method

Numerical simulations are undertaken for unsteady flows of an ideal Bingham fluid in a circular Couette viscometer. The main difficulties in such simulations are caused by the non-differentiability of the constitutive equation and the need to determine the position and shape of the yield surface separating the yielded zones from the unyielded ones. In this work, these difficulties are overcome by using a numerical method based on variational inequalities, i.e. the augmented Lagrangian/Uzawa method. The start-up and cessation of circular Couette flows of a Bingham fluid are solved numerically assuming that only one of the cylinders is rotating. An improved theoretical upper bound for the stopping time in the case of cessation is derived. The numerical estimates for the stopping time compare well with the theoretical bounds. Moreover, with the adopted method the evolution of the velocity profiles and the locations of yielded/unyielded surfaces are accurately calculated. In flow cessation, we observe an interesting effect, namely the appearance of a small unyielded region adjoined to the outer cylinder shortly before cessation.     

Peristaltic flow of a Bingham fluid in a channel

We study the peristaltic transport of a Bingham fluid in a channel with small aspect ratio whose walls behave as a periodic traveling wave. The governing equations in the unyielded phase are obtained writing the integral formulation for the momentum balance. As shown in Fusi et al. (2015), this approach allows to overcome the so-called “lubrication paradox” which may arise in the thin film approximation. We consider the case in which the inlet flux is prescribed and the one in which the flow is driven by a given pressure drop. In both cases the solution of the problem is determined solving a nonlinear integral equation for the yield surface. We perform some numerical simulations to illustrate the behavior of the yield surface, assuming that the traveling wave describing the peristaltic motion has a sinusoidal shape.     

Numerical simulations of complex yield-stress fluid flows

Viscoplasticity is characterized by a yield stress, below which the materials will not deform and above which they will deform and flow according to different constitutive relations. Viscoplastic models include the Bingham plastic, the Herschel-Bulkley model and the Casson model. All of these ideal models are discontinuous. Analytical solutions exist for such models in simple flows. For general flow fields, it is necessary to develop numerical techniques to track down yielded/unyielded regions. This can be avoided by introducing into the models a regularization parameter, which facilitates the solution process and produces virtually the same results as the ideal models by the right choice of its value. This work reviews several benchmark problems of viscoplastic flows, such as entry and exit flows from dies, flows around a sphere and a bubble and squeeze flows. Examples are also given for typical processing flows of viscoplastic materials, where the extent and shape of the yielded/unyielded regions are clearly shown. The above-mentioned viscoplastic models leave undetermined the stress and elastic deformation in the solid region. Moreover, deviations have been reported between predictions with these models and experiments for flows around particles using Carbopol, one of the very often used and heretofore widely accepted as a simple “viscoplastic” fluid. These have been partially remedied in very recent studies using the elastoviscoplastic models proposed by Saramito.     

Bingham fluid simulation with the incompressible lattice Boltzmann model

The Bingham fluid flow is numerically studied using the lattice Boltzmann method by incorporating the Papanastasiou exponential modification approach. The He–Luo incompressible lattice Boltzmann model is employed to avoid numerical instability usually encountered in non-Newtonian fluid simulations due to a strong non-linear relationship between the shear rate tensor and the rate-of-strain tensor. First, the value of the regularization parameter in Bingham fluid mimicking is analyzed and a method to determine the value is proposed. Then, the model is validated by pressure-driven planar channel flow and planar sudden expansion flow. The velocity profiles for the pressure-driven planar channel flow are in good agreement with analytical solutions. The calculated reattachment lengths for a 2:1 planar sudden expansion flow also agree well with the available data. Finally, the Bingham flow over a cavity is studied, and the streamlines and yielded/unyielded regions are discussed.     

On the physics of viscoplastic fluid flow in non-circular tubes

Flow of Bingham plastics through straight, long tubes is studied by means of a versatile analytical method that allows extending the study to a large range of tube geometries. The equation of motion is solved for general non-circular cross-sections obtained via a continuous and one-to-one mapping called the shape factor method. In particular the velocity field and associated plug and stagnant zones in tubes with equilateral triangular and square cross-section are explored. Shear stress normal to equal velocity lines, energy dissipation distribution and rate of flow are determined. Shear-thinning and shear-thickening effects on the flow, which cannot be accounted for with the Bingham model, are investigated using the Hershey-Bulkley constitutive formulation an extension of the Bingham model. The existence and the extent of undeformed regions in the flow field in a tube with equilateral triangular cross-section are predicted in the presence of shear-thinning and shear-thickening as a specific example. The mathematical flexibility of the analytical method allows the formulation of general results related to viscoplastic fluid flow with implications related to the design and optimization of physical systems for viscoplastic material transport and processing.     

Steady Herschel–Bulkley fluid flow in three-dimensional expansions

In this paper we study steady flow of Herschel–Bulkley fluids in a canonical three-dimensional expansion. The fluid behavior was modeled using a regularized continuous constitutive relation, and the flow was obtained numerically using a mixed-Galerkin finite element formulation with a Newton–Raphson iteration procedure coupled to an iterative solver. Results for the topology of the yielded and unyielded regions, and recirculation zones as a function of the Reynolds and Bingham numbers and the power-law exponent, are presented and discussed for a 2:1 and a 4:1 expansion ratio. The results reveal the strong interplay between the Bingham and Reynolds numbers and their influence on the formation and break up of stagnant zones in the corner of the expansion and on the size and location of core regions.     

Squeeze flow of Bingham fluids under slip with friction boundary condition

This paper develops a theoretical analysis of a Bingham fluid in slipping squeeze flow. The flow field decomposition consists in combining a central extensional flow zone in the plane of symmetry and shear flow zones near the plates. It is also considered that the slipping zone is located around a central sticking zone as previously shown from experiments. It is assumed that the shear stress at the plates is constant in the slipping zone and equals a fixed friction yield value. The squeeze force required to compress a Bingham fluid under the slipping behaviour as well as the radial evolution of the transition point between both sticking and slipping zones are finally determined.     

Squeeze flow of a Bingham-type fluid with elastic core

The squeeze flow of a Bingham-type material between finite circular disks is considered. The material is modelled assuming that the unyielded region behaves like a linear elastic core. A lubrication approximation is considered. It is shown that no paradox can arise, such as that has been pointed out for many years by various authors when the unyielded region in the fluid is supposed to be perfectly rigid. The unyielded region is shown to be always detached from the axis of symmetry. Some numerical simulations are worked out for different squeezing rates.     

Multi-layer channel flows with yield stress fluids

We present results of a computational study of visco-plastically lubricated plane channel multi-layer flows, in which the yield stress fluid layers are unyielded at the interface. We demonstrate that symmetric 3-layer flows may be established for wide ranges of viscosity ratio (m), Bingham number (B) and interface position (y_i), for Reynolds numbers Re ≤ 100. Here an inner Newtonian layer is sandwiched between 2 layers of Bingham fluid. Results are presented illustrating the variation of development length with the main dimensionless parameters and for different inlet sizes. We also show that these flows may be initiated by injecting either fluid into a steady flow of the other fluid. The flows are established quicker when the core fluid is injected into a channel already full of the outer fluid. In situations where the inner fluid flow rate is dominant we observed inertial symmetry breaking in the symmetric start-up flows as Re was increased. Asymmetry is also observed in studying temporal nonlinear stability of these flows, which appear stable up to moderate Re and significant amplitudes. In general the flows destabilize at lower Re and perturbation amplitudes than do the analogous core-annular pipe flows, but 1–1 comparison is hard. When the flow is stable the decay characteristics are very similar to those of the pipe flows. In the final part of the paper we explore more exotic flow effects. We show how flow control could be used to position layers asymmetrically within the flow, and how this effect might be varied transiently. We demonstrate that more complex layered flows can be stably achieved, e.g. a 7-layered flow is established. We also show how a varying inlet position can be used to “write” in the yield stress fluid: complex structures that are advected with the flow and encapsulated within the unyielded fluid.     

Numerical simulation of Taylor Couette flow of Bingham fluids

The Bingham fluid flow between two concentric cylinders is studied using numerical simulation. The cylinders are assumed to rotate independently, and with an imposed axial sliding. The flow field is decomposed with linearity arguments of the base circular Couette shear flow and corresponding deviation field. The numerical methods are based on the expression of the deviation field in terms of complete sets of orthogonal functions and Chebyshev series. The Galerkin projection method is used with the pressure term being eliminated. The Adams Bashforth scheme is adopted for time marching. The results show that the vortices are squeezed toward the inner cylinder due to the effect of yield stress. When the outer cylinder is held stationary, the yield stress plays a role in weakening the vortex flow. However, for the co-rotation situation, the vortex flow is initially strengthened with an increase of yield stress, and then weakened as the yield stress is raised large enough. The annular unyielded regions emerge and stick to the outer cylinder. In case of Taylor Couette flow with an imposed axial sliding, a spiral vortex flow is visible with spiral unyielded region being obtained.     

Squeeze flow of interstitial Herschel–Bulkley fluid between two rigid spheres

Interaction between two spheres with an interstitial fluid is crucial in discrete element modeling for simulating the behaviors of ‘wet’ particulate materials. The normal viscous force of squeeze flow between two arbitrary rigid spheres with an interstitial Herschel–Bulkley fluid was studied on the basis of Reynolds’ lubrication theory, resulting in analytical integral expressions of pressure distribution and the viscous force between the two spheres. According to the variation of shear stress, the fluid was divided into yielding and unyielding regions, followed by a discussion on the thickness of the two regions. The result of this paper could be reduced to either the power-law fluid or the Bingham fluid case.     

Unsteady simple shear flow in a viscoplastic fluid: comparison between analytical and numerical solutions

In this paper, an unsteady flow of a viscoplastic fluid for simple shear flow geometry is solved numerically using two regularizing functions to overcome the discontinuity for zero shear rate of the Bingham constitutive law. The adopted models are the well-known Papanastasiou relation and one based on the error function. The numerical results are compared with the analytical solution of the same problem obtained by Sekimoto (J Non-Newton Fluid Mech 39:107–113, 1991). The analysis of the results emphasizes that the errors are much smaller in the yielded than in the unyielded region. The models approximate closer the ideal Bingham model as the regularization parameters increase. The differences between the models tend to vanish as the regularization parameters are at least greater than 10⁵.     

On the spread of rectangular jets

Results are presented of some characteristic features of turbulent free jets issuing from rectangular exits having different geometries and small aspect ratios. Emphasis is placed on the measurement in the flow field near the exit. The measured quantities include mean velocity, mean temperature and stream-wise turbulence intensity. It is found that the growth and decay of the spanwise saddle-backed profile for temperature is different from that for velocity, and that the streamwise turbulence intensity distribution shows a remarkable change according to aspect ratio, exit shape and exit velocity.This paper was presented at the Ninth Symposium on Turbulence, University of Missouri-Rolla, October 1-3, 1984     

Three-dimensional numerical simulations of cross-flow around four cylinders in an in-line square configuration

This paper presents a numerical study of three-dimensional (3-D) laminar flow around four circular cylinders in an in-line square configuration. The investigation focuses on effects of spacing ratio (L/D) and aspect ratio (H/D) on 3-D flow characteristics, and the force and pressure coefficients of the cylinders. Extensive 3-D numerical simulations were performed at Reynolds number of 200 for L/D from 1.6 to 5.0 at H/D=16 and H/D from 6 to 20 at L/D=3.5. The results show that the 3-D numerical simulations have remedied the inadequacy of 2-D simulations and the results are in excellent agreement with the experimental results. The relation between 3-D flow patterns and pressure characteristics around the four cylinders is examined and discussed. The critical spacing ratio for flow pattern transformation was found to be L/D=3.5 for H/D=16, while a bistable wake pattern was observed at L/D=1.6 for the same aspect ratio. Moreover, a transformation of flow pattern from a stable shielding flow pattern to a vortex shedding flow pattern near the middle spanwise positions of the cylinders was observed and was found to be dependent on the aspect ratio, spacing ratio, and end wall conditions. Due to the highly 3-D nature of the flows, different flow patterns coexist over different spanwise positions of the cylinders even for the same aspect ratio. It is concluded that spacing ratio, aspect ratio, and the no-slip end wall condition have important combined effects on free shear layer development of the cylinders and hence have significant effects on the pressure field and force characteristics of the four cylinders with different spacing ratios and aspect ratios.     

Non-isothermal flow of a Bingham fluid with pressure and temperature dependent viscosity

In this paper we investigate the non-isothermal flow of a Bingham fluid whose viscosity and yield stress depend on temperature and pressure. We consider two situations: in the first one we assume that the buoyancy effects are dominant and influence the development and evolution of the unyielded plug. In this case the governing equations are obtained via the Oberbeck–Boussinesq approximation which is derived using a perturbative approach. We show that within this approximation the heat generated by viscous friction can be safely neglected. In the second situation we assume that the frictional heating effects are dominant and influence the flow via the viscosity and yield stress that depend on temperature. For both situations we investigate the simple unidirectional flow between plates subjected to given thermal conditions. We derive the equations for the steady fully developed flow and we determine the exact position of the yield surfaces separating the yielded and the unyielded domain. We also show some plots to assess the effects due to the dependence of the rheological parameters on the temperature and pressure.