Progress in numerical simulation of yield stress fluid flows

Abstract

Numerical simulations of viscoplastic fluid flows have provided a better understanding of fundamental properties of yield stress fluids in many applications relevant to natural and engineering sciences. In the first part of this paper, we review the classical numerical methods for the solution of the non-smooth viscoplastic mathematical models, highlight their advantages and drawbacks, and discuss more recent numerical methods that show promises for fast algorithms and accurate solutions. In the second part, we present and analyze a variety of applications and extensions involving viscoplastic flow simulations: yield slip at the wall, heat transfer, thixotropy, granular materials, and combining elasticity, with multiple phases and shallow flow approximations. We illustrate from a physical viewpoint how fascinating the corresponding rich phenomena pointed out by these simulations are.