Separation and reattachment of non-newtonian fluid flows in a sudden expansion pipe

Abstract

In the current flow visualization studies, the role of non-Newtonian characteristics (such as shear-rate-dependent viscosity and viscoelasticity) on flow behavior across the sudden expansion step in a circular pipe is investigated over a wide range of Reynolds numbers including the turbulent flow. The expansion ratios tested are 2.000 and 2.667 and the range of the Reynolds number covered in the current flow visualization tests are 10–35 000 based on the inlet diameter. The reattachment lengths for the viscoelastic fluids in the laminar flow regime are found to be much shorter than those for the Newtonian fluid. In addition they decrease significantly with increasingly concentration of viscoelastic fluid at the same Reynolds number. However, in the turbulent flow regime, the reattachment length for the viscoelastic fluids is two or three times longer than those for water, and gradually increases with increasing concentration of viscoelastic solutions, resulting in 25 and 28 step-height distances for 500 ppm and 1000 ppm polyacrylamide solutions respectively. This may be because the elasticity in polyacrylamide solutions suppresses the eddy motion and controls separation and reattachment behavior in the sudden expansion pipe flow. The reattachment lengths for the purely viscous non-Newtonian fluids are found to be almost the same as those for water.