Laminar mixed convection in power law fluids in continuous flow electrophoresis systems

Abstract

Laminar mixed convection in a power law fluid flowing between vertical parallel plates is considered. Heat is generated in the fluid by a non-uniform volumetric heat source and the plates are assumed to be adiabatic. The boundary-layer equations are solved using a finite-difference numerical technique. A knowledge of the resulting flow field is of interest in the study of continuous flow electrophoresis systems. Results are presented which show that flow redevelopments due to buoyancy effects occur as well as mixing due to a non-uniform velocity profile. It is shown that the use of pseudoplastic non-Newtonian fluids and the proper geometry and flow rates, can effectively prevent flow redevelopments and velocity profile dispersion under conditions for which they would otherwise occur.