Dual solutions of Casson fluid flows over a power-law stretching sheet

A steady boundary layer flow of a non-Newtonian Casson fluid over a power-law stretching sheet is investigated. A self-similar form of the governing equation is obtained, and numerical solutions are found for various values of the governing parameters. The solutions depend on the fluid material parameter. Dual solutions are obtained for some particular range of these parameters. The fluid velocity is found to decrease as the power-law stretching parameter β in the rheological Casson equation increases. At large values of β, the skin friction coefficient and the velocity profile across the boundary layer for the Casson fluid tend to those for the Newtonian fluid.     

The Stokes boundary layer for a power-law fluid

We develop semi-analytical, self-similar solutions for the oscillatory boundary layer (‘Stokes layer’) in a semi-infinite power-law fluid bounded by an oscillating wall (the so-called Stokes problem). These solutions differ significantly from the classical solution for a Newtonian fluid, both in the non-sinusoidal form of the velocity oscillations and in the manner at which their amplitude decays with distance from the wall. In particular, for shear-thickening fluids the velocity reaches zero at a finite distance from the wall, and for shear-thinning fluids it decays algebraically with distance, in contrast to the exponential decay for a Newtonian fluid. We demonstrate numerically that these semi-analytical, self-similar solutions provide a good approximation to the flow driven by a sinusoidally oscillating wall.     

Choice of a self-similar solution in boundary-layer theory

If the speed of the outer flow at the edge of the boundary layer does not depend on the time and is specified in the form of a power-law function of the longitudinal coordinate, then a self-similar solution of the boundary-layer equations can be found by integrating a third-order ordinary differential equation (see [1–3]). When the exponent of the power in the outerflow velocity distribution is negative, a self-similar solution satisfying the equations and the usually posed boundary conditions is not uniquely determinable [4], A similar result was obtained in [5] for flows of a conducting fluid in a magnetic field. In the present paper we study the behavior of non-self-similar perturbations of a self-similar solution, enabling us to provide a basis for the choice of a self-similar solution.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 4, pp. 42–46, July–August, 1974.     

A remark on similarity analysis of boundary layer equations of a class of non-Newtonian fluids

A similarity analysis of three-dimensional boundary layer equations of a class of non-Newtonian fluid in which the stress, an arbitrary function of rates of strain, is studied. It is shown that under any group of transformation, for an arbitrary stress function, not all non-Newtonian fluids possess a similarity solution for the flow past a wedge inclined at arbitrary angle except Ostwald-de-Waele power-law fluid. Further it is observed, for non-Newtonian fluids of any model only $90°$ of wedge flow leads to similarity solutions. Our results contain a correction to some flaws in Pakdemirli׳s [14] (1994) paper on similarity analysis of boundary layer equations of a class of non-Newtonian fluids.     

Boundary layer development in a gas flow with stagnation enthalpy varying across the streamlines

We consider a laminar boundary layer for which the stagnation enthalpy specified in the initial section is variable with height. Such problems arise, for example, for bodies located in the wake behind another body, for hypersonic flow past slender blunted bodies (as a result of the large transverse entropy gradients in the highentropy layer), for stepwise variation of the temperature of a surface on which there is an already developed boundary layer, for sudden expansion of the boundary layer as a result of its flow past a corner of the surface, etc.Strictly, we should in such cases solve the boundary layer equations (if the longitudinal gradients are much smaller than the transverse) with the specified initial distribution of the quantities. However, from the physical point of view, the distributed region may be broken down into two regions, the near-wall boundary layer and an outer region which is a gas flow with constant velocity and the specified initial temperature profile, whose calculation yields the edge conditions for the boundary layer. The boundary between the regions is determined from the condition of adequately smooth matching of the solutions. This approach is much preferable to the first, since it permits avoiding (within the framework of boundary layer theory) the difficulties associated with the presence of a possible singularity at the initial point of the surface due to the discontinuity of the boundary conditions at this point, and also permits using conventional boundary layer theory if the effect of the viscosity in the outer region is not significant. However, this partition requires additional justifications of the possibility of independent determination of the solution in the outer region and the determination of the edge of the boundary layer, considered as the region of influence of the wetted surface. The boundary layer in a nonuniform flow has been considered in several works for a linear initial velocity or temperature profile [1–3].It should be noted that the linear initial enthalpy or velocity profiles for constant gas properties do not undergo changes under the influence of viscosity or thermal conductivity. Thus the fundamental characteristic features noted above which are associated with the presence of the two regions and their interaction in essence cannot be investigated using these examples.In this study we obtain and analyze the exact solutions of the equations of the compressible boundary layer for a power-law variation of the initial stagnation enthalpy profile as a function of the stream function for a constant initial velocity. Here it is shown that the influence of the boundary conditions at the wall are actually localized in the near-wall boundary layer, which is similar in dimensions to the conventional velocity or thermal boundary layers. In the region which is external with relation to this layer, in accordance with the physical picture described above, the solution coincides with the solution of the Cauchy problem for the heat conduction equation, which describes the development of the initial temperature profile in an infinite steady-state flow with constant velocity.It is shown that for the sufficiently smooth initial profiles which are of interest in practice the outer flow undergoes practically no changes until we reach the inner boundary layer, and it may be calculated using the perfect gas laws.     

Hydraulic fracture crack propagation driven by a non-Newtonian fluid

The problem of hydraulic fracture crack propagation in a porous medium is considered. The fracture is driven by an incompressible viscous fluid with a power-law rheology of the pseudoplastic type. The fluid seepage is described by an equation generalizing the Darcy law in the hydraulic approximation. It is shown that the system of governing equations has a power-law self-similar solution, whereas, in the limiting cases of low and high fluid saturation in the porous medium, there are some families of power-law or exponential self-similar solutions. The complete self-similar solution is constructed. The effect of the nonlinear rheology of the fracturing fluid on the behavior of the solution is studied. The problem is solved analytically for an arbitrary boundary condition at the crack inlet when the viscous stresses in the non-Newtonian fluid are close to a constant.     

Exact solutions of MHD second Stokes flow of generalized Burgers fluid

This work concerns with the exact solutions of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of generalized Burgers fluid describing the second Stokes problem. The modified Darcy law is taken into account. The related velocity distribution and shear stress are expressed as a combination of steady-state and transient solutions computed by means of integral transformations. The effects of various parameters on the flow field are investigated. The MHD flow results in reduction of velocity distribution and associated thickness of the boundary layer.     

Mixed convection in non-Newtonian fluids along a vertical plate with variable surface heat flux in a porous medium

A nonsimilar boundary layer analysis is presented for the problem of mixed convection in power-law type non-Newtonian fluids along a vertical plate with power-law surface heat flux distribution. The mixed convection regime is divided into two regions, namely, the forced convection dominated regime and the free convection dominated regime. The two solutions are matched. Numerical results are presented for the details of the velocity and temperature fields. A discussion is provided for the effect of viscosity index on the surface heat transfer rate. Received on 13 October 1998     

On the existence of self-similar solutions of the equations governing unsteady flow through a porous medium

In this paper the conditions for the existence of self-similar solutions of the equations governing unsteady flows through a porous medium are presented and discussed. The first two sections deal with the case of non-Newtonian fluids of power-law behavior; the third section analyzes the case of non-Darcy gas flows. The boundary and initial conditions occuring currently in a large class of fluid mechanics problems, of practical interest in engineering, are considered.     

An extended study of the hydrodynamics of gravity-driven film flow of power-law fluids

A new similarity transformation has been devised for extensive studies of accelerating non-Newtonian film flow. The partial differential equations governing the hydrodynamics of the flow of a power-law fluid down along an inclined plane surface are transformed into a set of two ordinary differential equations by means of the dimensionless velocity component approach. Although the analysis is applicable for any angle of inclination (0<π/2), the resulting one-parameter problem involves only the power-law index n. Nevertheless, physically essential quantities, like the velocity components and the skin-friction coefficient, do depend on and relevant relationships are deduced between the vertical and inclined cases. Accurate numerical similarity solutions are provided for n in the range from 0.1 to 2.0. The present method enables solutions to be obtained also for highly pseudo-plastic films, i.e. for n below 0.5. The mass flow rate entrained into the momentum boundary layer from the inviscid freestream is expressed in terms of a dimensionless mass flux parameter Φ, which depends on the dimensionless boundary layer thickness and the velocity components at the edge of the viscous boundary layer. Φ, which is thus an integral part of the similarity solution, turns out to decrease monotonically with n. This parameter is of particular relevance in the determination of the streamwise position at which the entire freestream has been entrained and viscous stresses prevail all the way to the free surface of the film. A short-cut method to facilitate rapid and yet accurate estimates of the mass flux parameter is developed to this end.     

Self-similar solutions in the problem of generalized vortex diffusion

The analysis of the group properties and the search for self-similar solutions in problems of mathematical physics and continuum mechanics have always been of interest, both theoretical and applied [1–3]. Self-similar solutions of parabolic problems that depend only on a variable of the type η = x/√t are classical fundamental solutions of the one-dimensional linear and nonlinear heat conduction equations describing numerous physical phenomena with initial discontinuities on the boundary [4]. In this study, the term “generalized vortex diffusion” is introduced in order to unify the different processes in mechanics modeled by these problems. Here, vortex layer diffusion and vortex filament diffusion in a Newtonian fluid [5] can serve as classical hydrodynamic examples. The cases of self-similarity with respect to the variable η are classified for fairly general kinematics of the processes, physical nonlinearities of the medium, and types of boundary conditions at the discontinuity points. The general initial and boundary value problem thus formulated is analyzed in detail for Newtonian and non-Newtonian power-law fluids and a medium similar in behavior to a rigid-ideally plastic body. New self-similar solutions for the shear stress are derived.     

Flow of non-newtonian particulate suspension with a compressible particle phase

Continuum equations for a two-phase fluid-particle flow are developed and applied to the problem of steady, laminar flow over an infinite porous flat plate. Both phases are assumed to behave as non-Newtonian power-law fluids. The effects of particle-particle interaction and diffusion of particles are taken into account in the mathematical model. In addition, the particle phase is assumed to have a non-uniform density distribution. The resulting governing equations are nondimensionalized and solved numerically subject to appropriate boundary conditions using an iterative, implicit finite-difference method. Graphical results for the displacement thicknesses and the skin-friction coefficients for both the fluid and particle phases are presented and discussed to elucidate interesting features of the solutions.     

Mixed convection in non-Newtonian fluids along nonisothermal horizontal surfaces in porous media

A nonsimilar boundary layer analysis is presented for the problem of mixed convection in power-law type non-Newtonian fluids along horizontal surfaces with variable wall temperature distribution. The mixed convection regime is divided into two regions, namely, the forced convection dominated regime and the free convection dominated regime. The two solutions are matched. Numerical results are presented for the details of the velocity and temperature fields. A discussion is provided for the effect of viscosity index on the surface heat transfer rate. Received on 11 March 1997     

Nonsimilar Solutions for Mixed Convection in Non-Newtonian Fluids Along Horizontal Surfaces in Porous Media

A nonsimilar boundary layer analysis is presented for the problem of mixed convection in power-law type non-Newtonian fluids along horizontal surfaces with variable heat flux distribution. The mixed convection regime is divided into two regions, namely, the forced convection dominated regime and the free convection dominated regime. The two solutions are matched. Numerical results are presented for the details of the velocity and temperature fields. A discussion is provided for the effect of viscosity index on the surface heat transfer rate.     

Non-Newtonian biomagnetic fluid flow through a stenosed bifurcated artery with a slip boundary condition

The effects of a velocity slip and an external magnetic field on the flow of biomagnetic fluid(blood) through a stenosed bifurcated artery are investigated by using ANSYS FLUENT. Blood is regarded as a non-Newtonian power-law fluid, and the magnetization and electrical conductivity are considered in the mathematical model.The no-slip condition is replaced by the first-order slip condition. The slip boundary condition and magnetic force are compiled in the solver by the user-defined function(UDF)...     

Flow of power-law fluids over a moving wedge surface with wall mass injection

The boundary layer problem of a power-law fluid flow with fluid injection on a wedge whose surface is moving with a constant velocity in the opposite direction to that of the uniform mainstream is analyzed. The free stream velocity, the injection velocity at the surface, moving velocity of the wedge surface, the wedge angle and the power law index of non-Newtonian fluid are assumed variables. The fourth order Runge–Kutta method modified by Gill is used to solve the non-dimensional boundary layer equations for non-Newtonian flow field. Without fluid injection, for every angle of wedge β, a limiting value for velocity ratio λ _cr (velocity of the wedge surface/velocity of the uniform flow) is found for each power-law index n. The value of λ _cr increases with the increasing wedge angle β. The value of wedge angle also restricts the physical characteristics of the fluid to be used. The effects of the different parameters on velocity profile and on skin friction are studied and the drag reduction is discussed. In case of C = 2.5 and velocity ratio λ = 0.2 for wedge angle β = 0.5 with the fluid with power law-index n = 0.5, 48.8% drag reduction is obtained.     

On axisymmetric flow of Sisko fluid over a radially stretching sheet

This study presents an analysis of the axisymmetric flow of a non-Newtonian fluid over a radially stretching sheet. The momentum equations for two-dimensional flow are first modeled for Sisko fluid constitutive model, which is a combination of power-law and Newtonian fluids. The general momentum equations are then simplified by invoking the boundary layer analysis. Then a non-linear ordinary differential equation governing the axisymmetric boundary layer flow of Sisko fluid over a radially stretching sheet is obtained by introducing new suitable similarity transformations. The resulting non-linear ordinary differential equation is solved analytically via the homotopy analysis method (HAM). Closed form exact solution is then also obtained for the cases n=0 and 1. Analytical results are presented for the velocity profiles for some values of governing parameters such as power-law index, material parameter and stretching parameter. In addition, the local skin friction coefficient for several sets of the values of physical parameter is tabulated and analyzed. It is shown that the results presented in this study for the axisymmetric flow over a radially non-linear stretching sheet of Sisko fluid are quite general so that the corresponding results for the Newtonian fluid and the power-law fluid can be obtained as two limiting cases.     

Application of unsteady mixing equations to some aerodynamic problems

Tangential discontinuities [1] are introduced in solving several transient and steady-state problems of gas dynamics. These discontinuities are unstable [2] as a result of the effects of viscosity and thermal conductivity. Therefore it is advisable to replace the tangential discontinuity by a mixing region and account for its interaction with the inviscid flows, establishing on the boundaries of this region the conditions of vanishing friction stress and equality of the velocity and temperature components to the corresponding velocity and temperature components of the inviscid flows. This formulation improves the accuracy of the solution of such problems by posing them as problems with irregular reflection and intersection of shock waves [1].The consideration of the interaction of unsteady turbulent mixing regions with the inviscid flow also permits the formulation of several problems in which the effects of viscosity lead to complete rearrangement of the flow pattern (the lambda-configuration) with the interaction of the reflected shock wave with the boundary layer in the shock tube [3,4], the formation of zones of developed separation ahead of obstacles, etc.).In this connection, §1 presents an analysis of the self-similar solutions of the unsteady turbulent mixing equations (a corresponding analysis of the laminar mixing equations which coincide with the boundary layer equations is presented in [1]). It is shown that these self-similar solutions describe, along with the several problems noted above, the problems of the formation of steady jets and mixing zones in the base wake.As an example, §2 presents, within the framework of the proposed schematization, an approximate solution of the problem of the interaction of a shock wave reflected from a semi-infinite wall with the boundary layer on a horizontal plate behind the incident shock wave. The results obtained are applied to the analysis of reflection in a shock tube. Computational results are presented which are in qualitative agreement with experiment [3, 4].     

Contact melting materials with non-linear properties

The effects of nonlinear thermophysical properties on thermal and flow fields of the molten thin layer produced by contact melting are investigated. The molten layer is assumed to be a non-Newtonian fluid which has temperature-dependent viscosity and thermal conductivity. Heat transfer to solid and temperature field in solid with temperature-dependent conductivity are obtained. Choosing the heating surface of parabolic shape significantly reduce calculations, since closed-form solutions are obtained. Closed-form solutions for velocity, temperature, pressure, and thickness of the molten layer, and criterions to indicate the importance of taking into account the effects of nonlinear properties are provided. Received on 10 January 1997     

A note on the translation of a thin rod inside a cylinder

The problem of a thin rod moving longitudinally along the axis of symmetry of a cylindrical vessel is examined for Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids. For non-Newtonian fluids, the inelastic power-law type solution predicts the experimental results particularly well. On account of wall effects, the induced pressure gradients are much greater for a Newtonian fluid than for a viscoelastic fluid. In fact, in the latter case, they may be considered negligible when the radius of the inner cylinder is small compared to the one of the outer cylinder.