Sharp corner singularity of the White–Metzner model

Abstract

The stress singularity is determined using matched asymptotics for complete flow of a White–Metzner (WM) fluid around a re-entrant corner. The model is considered in the absence of a solvent viscosity, with power-law forms for the relaxation time and polymer viscosity. In this form, the model shares the same stress singularity as the upper convected Maxwell (UCM) model, but its wall boundary layers may be thinner or thicker than those for UCM depending upon the relative difference in the power-law exponents. If the exponent for the relaxation time is greater than that for the polymer viscosity, the boundary layer is narrower, whilst it is thicker if the polymer viscosity exponent exceeds that of the relaxation time. When the exponents are the same, the WM boundary layer thickness is the same size as that for UCM. A self-similar solution is derived for the stress and velocity fields and matched to both upstream and downstream boundary layers. Restrictions on the sizes of the power-law exponents are also given for validity of this solution.