Influence of a Yield-Shear-Thinning Rheology on the Flow Behavior of Submerged Annular Jets

Abstract

Abstract The flow structure and decay characteristics of submerged annular yield-pseudoplastic jets are investigated. Numerical solutions to the governing mass and momentum conservation equations, along with the Herschel-Bulkley rheological model, are obtained using a finite-difference scheme. A parametric study is implemented to investigate the effects of annular nozzle diameter ratio, κ, the power-law index, n, and yield number, Y, over the following range: κ = {0, 0.5}; n = {1, 0.6}; and Y = {0, 1, 5}. The Reynolds number was fixed at Re = 100, which ensured steady and laminar jet flow conditions throughout the whole flow field. The selected yield number and power-law index values allowed for the investigation of the presence of yield stress and shear-thinning effects on the resulting structure and evolution of the flow field. The results demonstrate the substantial impact of the inflow conditions and rheology on the annular jet evolution, and on the extent of the outer recirculation region and recirculation strength of both the outer and central regions.