Flows in Rotation Cylinder Filled With Polymer Solutions

Abstract

This investigation deals with the spin-up flows in a circular container of aspect ratio, 2.0. Shear front is generated in the transient spin-up process of the present flow system and it is propagating from the side wall to the central axis in a rotating container. Propagation of the shear front to the axis in a rotating container means the region behind the shear front acquires an angular momentum transfer from the solid walls. Propagating speed of the shear front depends on the apparent viscosity of polymer solution. Two kinds of polymer solutions are considered as a working fluid: one is CMC and the other is CTAB solution. CMC solution has larger apparent viscosity than that of water at the present applied shear stress, and CTAB shows varying apparent viscosities depending on the applied shear rates. Transient and spatial variations of the apparent viscosities of the present polymer solutions (CTAB and CMC) cause different propagating speeds of the shear front. In practice, CMC solution that has larger values of apparent viscosity than that of water always shows rapid approach to the steady state in comparison of the behavior of the flows with water. However, for the CTAB solution, the propagating speed of the shear front changes with the local magnitude of its apparent viscosity. Consequently, the prediction of Wedemeyer’s including viscosity in the propagating speed of the velocity shear front quantitatively agrees with the present experimental results.