Linear flow induced in fluid particle suspension by an infinite differentially rotating disk

Abstract

The steady, axisymmetric laminar flow of a homogeneous incompressible fluid with suspended particles occupying the half-infinite space over a differentially rotating rigid plane boundary is analyzed in this paper. The effect of suspended particles is described by two parametersf and τ. The mass concentration parameterf is a measure of the concentration of suspended dust particles. The interaction parameter τ is a measure of the rate at which the velocity of dust particles adjusts to changes in the fluid velocity and depends upon the size of the individual particles. Due to Ekman suction, the particle density remains no longer a constant in the boundary layer but varies with the axial coordinate ξ. Flow characteristics and density variations are studied as functions off, τ and ξ. Possible limiting cases for τ≪1 and τ≫1 which correspond to the case of fine dust and coarse dust respectively are derived and discussed.