Viscoelastic Fluid Research Articles

Numerical investigation on heat transfer characteristics of the viscoelastic fluid flow during wire coating process

Due to the high-quality data required in some major industrial fields, transferring those data seem to be an inevitable task. Wires and fibers used for data transmission are needed coating process to be safe from possible damage. This paper first conducted the mathematical Non-linear differential equations for a pressure-type die on wire coating process. Then it was found that the Least Square Method used to predict the thermal behavior of the operating fluid is reasonably accurate. At the end, some critical values such as permeability, magnetic, and third-grade parameters were changed to evaluate their effects on the fluid behavior. It found the temperature pattern rises around 21% by enhancing magnetic parameters. Moreover, the velocity pattern decreases by enlarging the magnetic field, and the temperature profile increases by rising Brinkman number.

Artificial Neural Networks Solutions for Solving Differential Equations: A Focus and Example for Flow of Viscoelastic Fluid with Microrotation

Physics-informed neural networks (PINN) are an artificial neural network (ANN) approach for solving differential equations. PINN offers an alternative to classical numerical methods. The paper discusses the applications of PINN in various domains by highlighting the advantages, challenges, limitations, and some future directions. For example, PINN is implemented to solve the differential equations describing the Flow of Viscoelastic Fluid with Microrotation at a Horizontal Circular Cylinder Boundary Layer. The differential equations resulting from a nondimensionalization process of the governing equations and the associated boundary conditions are solved using PINN. The obtained results using PINN are discussed and compared to other state-of-the-art methods. Future research might aim to increase the precision and effectiveness of PINN models for solving differential equations, either by adding more physics-based restrictions or multi-scale methods to expand their capabilities. Additionally, investigating new application domains like linked multi-physics issues or real-time simulation situations may help to increase the reach and significance of PINN approaches.

Calibration of Thixotropic and Viscoelastic Shear-Thinning Fluids Using Pipe Rheometer Measurements

Some non-Newtonian fluids have time-dependent rheological properties like a shear stress that depends on the shear history or a stress overshoot that is a function of the resting time, when fluid movement is started. The rheological properties of such complex fluids may not stay constant while they are used in an industrial process, and it is therefore desirable to measure these properties frequently and with a simple and robust device like a pipe rheometer. This paper investigated how the time-dependent rheological properties of a thixotropic and viscoelastic shear-thinning fluid can be extracted from differential pressure measurements obtained at different flowrates along a circular pipe section. The method consists in modeling the flow of a thixotropic version of a Quemada fluid and solving the inverse problem in order to find the model parameters using the measurements made in steady-state conditions. Also, a Maxwell linear viscoelastic model was used to reproduce the stress overshoot observed when starting circulation after a resting period. The pipe rheometer was designed to have the proper features necessary to exhibit the thixotropic and viscoelastic effects that were needed to calibrate the rheological model parameters. The accuracy of rheological measurements depends on understanding the effects that can influence the observations and on a proper design that takes advantage of these side effects instead of attempting to eliminate them.

Nuclear induction line shape: Non-Markovian diffusion with boundaries.

The dynamics of viscoelastic fluids are governed by a memory function, essential yet challenging to compute, especially when diffusion faces boundary restrictions. We propose a computational method that captures memory effects by analyzing the time-correlation function of the pressure tensor, a viscosity indicator, through the Stokes-Einstein equation's analytic continuation into the Laplace domain. We integrate this equation with molecular dynamics simulations to derive necessary parameters. Our approach computes nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) line shapes using a generalized diffusion coefficient, accounting for temperature and confinement geometry. This method directly links the memory function with thermal transport parameters, facilitating accurate NMR signal computation for non-Markovian fluids in confined geometries.

Shear horizontal wave dispersion in two phase magneto-electro-elastic material loaded with viscoelastic fluid layer

In the present work, an exact analytical approach has been used to study the dispersive behavior of the shear horizontal (SH) wave in magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) material loaded with a viscoelastic fluid. Complex dispersion equations are derived in the cases of electric short magnetic short (ESMS), electric short magnetic open (ESMO), electric open magnetic short (EOMS), and electric open magnetic open (EOMO) boundary conditions by solving the equilibrium equations of MEE material and the Stokes equation of viscoelastic fluid. To validate the present outcomes, the MEE material is changed into piezoelectric and piezomagnetic materials by taking some theoretical assumptions and the outcomes are matched with preexisting results. Effect of volume fraction, wave frequency, substrate thickness and thickness of the fluid layer on phase velocity and attenuation of SH wave have studied. This study may find its applications in better understanding of the surface acoustic wave devices incorporated with viscoelastic fluid layer.

Numerical modelling of the viscoelastic polymer melt flow in material extrusion additive manufacturing

ABSTRACT In material extrusion (MEX), it is challenging to accurately predict the steady and transient feeding forces at various polymer extrusion rates when printing island and thin-walled structures involving rapid start/stop or acceleration/deceleration, especially for semi-crystalline polymers. This research presents a non-isothermal viscoelastic Computational Fluid Dynamics model to investigate the steady and transient feeding forces, as well as the phase transition process and viscoelastic behaviour of polylactic acid (PLA), a semi-crystalline polymer, during the extrusion process. The study establishes a relationship between polymer flow and viscoelastic stress, demonstrating that the elastic effect during extrusion is more significant than the viscous effect, particularly at higher feeding rates. Furthermore, the study uncovers critical aspects of PLA melt flow behaviour during the MEX process, laying the foundation for future research and optimisation of MEX printing processes.

Study on the hydrodynamics of the helix with non-uniform helical radius in viscoelastic fluid at low Reynolds number

Bacteria exhibit swimming behavior through the rotation of helical flagellar filaments, a common mode of propulsion for artificial micro-swimmers as well. However, most studies have focused on helical filaments with a uniform radius, leaving limited research on filaments with nonuniform radii. This paper presents a simulation of the hydrodynamics of a rotating helical filament with a nonuniform radius. The degree of nonuniformity is characterized by a radius ratio,β. Using the OpenFOAM platform, a simulation module for non-Newtonian Stokes flow was developed and integrated. The kinematics of the filament were predefined by fixing either the pitch or the helical angle, in addition to the helical radius. Thrust acting on the filament were analyzed with regards to the helical radius ratio, rotation speed, and fluid viscoelasticity. Certain modifications were made to apply the resistive force theory (RFT) to filaments with nonuniform helical radii. Results revealed that when the pitch was fixed, the thrust of the helix varied non-monotonically with the radius ratio, with excessive ratios leading to increased resistance. In contrast, helices with fixed helical angles exhibited an increasing thrust with a higher radius ratio. The thrust was greater in Newtonian fluids compared to non-Newtonian fluids, and the propulsion of the helix was influenced by the Deborah number. As the Deborah number approached zero, the thrust of viscoelastic swimming speed approached that of viscous swimming speed. For small, β(,β=1 and 4), the ratio of the thrust in viscoelastic fluid to the thrust in viscous fluid was always less than unity. At, β = 9, elasticity hindered propulsion at low De (De<1.5), while the opposite was observed at high De (De>1.5). A new approach was proposed to evaluate the impact of viscoelasticity on the helix, it was expected that the new calculation method can reduce the computational effort effectively.

Stability of Viscoelastic Solutions: BrijL4 and Sodium Cholate Mixtures with Metal Ions Across a Broad pH and Temperature Range.

The impact of pH, temperature, and metal ions on the rheological and interfacial properties of aqueous mixed surfactant solutions composed of anionic NaC (sodium cholate) and nonionic BrijL4 [polyoxyethylene (4) lauryl ether] surfactants has been investigated. The various compound systems were analyzed, considering variations in each selected factor. The results highlight the unique characteristics of the BrijL4/NaC mixture, suggesting its potential as a viable alternative to other existing surfactants. The synergistic effect between BrijL4 and NaC significantly reduces the critical micelle concentration (CMC) and improves the wetting properties on hydrophobic surfaces, surpassing those of single-component solutions. Additionally, sodium, calcium, and magnesium ions enhance surface wetting and decrease the CMC. Besides, the BrijL4/NaC solutions exhibit viscoelastic fluid behavior at higher surfactant concentrations. These viscoelastic BrijL4/NaC solutions demonstrate stability over various pH and temperature variations, exhibiting lower flow activation and scission energy values than those of other viscoelastic surfactant solutions. Notably, the BrijL4/NaC mixture has potential applications in gel-based foliar fertilizers and drug delivery systems. Furthermore, the rheological studies examine the impact of humic acid on the rheological properties of BrijL4/NaC mixture solutions, revealing that incorporating additional humic acids can achieve stable rheological properties.

Numerical Investigation on the Conical Flow of Viscoelastic Fluids

The conical problem represents one of the important problems in the various fields of industrial as the automotive industry and the aerospace industry, due to their great role in controlling the flow of liquids and gases. This article covers a computational investigation of incompressible the Phan–Thien/Tanner shear-thinning viscoelastic fluid flow through a conical converging channel. Here, we select hybrid finite element/finite volume algorithm as a first time to treat such problem. This method consists of the combination of a Taylor-Galerkin/pressure correction finite element method (TGPC-FEM) and a cell-vertex finite volume approach (CV-FEA) to solve the system of partial differential equations that govern the fluid flow. The TGPC-FEM is employed to the momentum and mass conservation models, while the stress constitutive models are treated by finite volume implementation. The findings of current study are concerned with stress response, deformation rate, and pressure drop under variations in Weissenberg number and EPTT parameters. The effect of shear-thinning behaviour with the EPTT representation is also considered.

Effect of fluid elasticity and shear thinning on heat transfer from a heated sphere at moderate Reynolds numbers

The drag and heat transfer characteristics of an isothermal sphere in a FENE-P-type viscoelastic fluid have been studied in the steady axisymmetric flow regime. The governing equations, namely, mass, momentum, and energy equations, together with FENE-P type viscoelastic constitutive equations, have been solved using the finite volume method based opensource CFD code OpenFOAM over the following ranges of conditions: Reynolds number, 1 ≤ Re ≤ 100 ; Prandtl number, 1 ≤ Pr ≤ 50 ; Weissenberg number, 0 ​ ≤ Wi ≤ 10 and polymer extensibility parameter, 10 ≤ L 2 ≤ 500 for a fixed value of the polymer viscosity ratio of β = 0.5 . At low Reynolds numbers, fluid viscoelasticity causes an upward and downward shifting in the axial velocity profiles with reference to that in a Newtonian fluid along the upstream and downstream axis of the sphere, respectively. However, such a shift progressively diminishes with the increasing Reynolds number. Furthermore, a “velocity overshoot” and/or a “negative wake” is also observed in a viscoelastic polymer solution at low Reynolds numbers, and this is accentuated with the increasing Weissenberg number. The separation of boundary layers is seen to be suppressed with the increasing Weissenberg number. The drag coefficient decreases with the Reynolds number irrespective of the fluid type and the corresponding dependence on the Weissenberg number is found to be non-monotonic depending upon the values of Re and L 2. The average Nusselt number always increases with the increasing values of Re, Pr, and Wi and with the decreasing value of L 2. A limited number of simulations have also been carried out to show the effect of the temperature-dependent viscosity of the fluid on the flow dynamics and heat transfer characteristics. Finally, simple correlations for the drag coefficient and average Nusselt number are presented which not only capture the functional dependence but also can be used for the interpolation of the present results for the intermediate values of the governing parameters in a new application.

High throughput intracellular delivery by viscoelastic mechanoporation

Brief pulses of electric field (electroporation) and/or tensile stress (mechanoporation) have been used to reversibly permeabilize the plasma membrane of mammalian cells and deliver materials to the cytosol. However, electroporation can be harmful to cells, while efficient mechanoporation strategies have not been scalable due to the use of narrow constrictions or needles which are susceptible to clogging. Here we report a high throughput approach to mechanoporation in which the plasma membrane is stretched and reversibly permeabilized by viscoelastic fluid forces within a microfluidic chip without surface contact. Biomolecules are delivered directly to the cytosol within seconds at a throughput exceeding 250 million cells per minute. Viscoelastic mechanoporation is compatible with a variety of biomolecules including proteins, RNA, and CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes, as well as a range of cell types including HEK293T cells and primary T cells. Altogether, viscoelastic mechanoporation appears feasible for contact-free permeabilization and delivery of biomolecules to mammalian cells ex vivo.

Heterogeneity-induced retraction in viscoelastic fluids following cessation of flow.

Complex fluids including colloidal suspensions, microgels, and entangled wormlike micelles (WLMs) can develop heterogeneous flow regions under imposed steady shear. In some of these systems, the evolution to this flow state from rest is accompanied by flow reversal - when a portion of the fluid moves opposite to the imposed flow direction. Flow reversal was proposed to occur in shear startup when (1) the fluid has significant elasticity, and (2) the flow becomes heterogeneous immediately following the stress overshoot [McCauley et al., J. Rheol., 2023, 67, 661-681]. To verify this hypothesis, a new method is developed for measuring flow heterogeneity. Upon cessation of the imposed flow, elasticity and flow heterogeneity cause retraction of the fluid, which is quantified with particle tracking velocimetry. Flow is stopped at key times during shear startup in two systems: a gel-like WLM that exhibits flow reversal before heterogeneous flow and a viscoelastic, fluid-like WLM that does not. The degree of flow heterogeneity is inferred from the shape and magnitude of velocity profiles measured during retraction. Flow heterogeneity develops earlier in gel-like WLMs - supporting the proposed flow reversal criteria. For comparison, heterogeneous Couette flows described with the upper-convected Maxwell or Germann-Cook-Beris models are analyzed. These theoretical flow problems confirm that stark differences in rheological properties across the flow geometry can cause significant fluid retraction and reproduce key features of the experimentally observed retraction. This new method can be used to extract quantitative information about spatially heterogeneous flows in viscoelastic complex fluids, whether or not flow reversal occurs.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THE RISE OF TWO PARALLEL UNEQUAL BUBBLES IN A VISCOELASTIC FLUID

The interaction of two parallel unequal bubbles in a viscoelastic fluid is investigated numerically using OpenFoam, the volume of fluid method (VOF) combined with a surface tension model to trace the gas-liquid interface, and the Giesekus model to characterise the rheological properties of the fluid. The numerical results are in good agreement with experimental results from the literature. The effects of bubble diameter, initial spacing between bubbles and rheological properties of the fluid on the rise, and separation and convergence of the two bubbles are investigated. The flow field properties and viscoelastic stress distribution around the bubbles are explored. As the bubble spacing increases, the maximum and terminal velocities of the two bubbles increase, and the relative positions of the bubbles change when they come into contact. As the relaxation time &amp;lambda; increases, the contact time of the bubbles decreases, and the small bubbles tend to have an inverted teardrop shape and the large bubbles have less deformation and no sharp tail. The relaxation time directly affects the accumulation of viscoelastic stress, leading to changes in the velocity of the bubbles at contact, and their maximum and terminal velocities increase. Bubbles in highly elastic fluids are more prone to negative wake phenomena.

Examining laminar, non-stationary viscoelastic fluid flow between two parallel planes

The generalized Maxwell model is used to handle problems involving the unsteady flow of a viscoelastic fluid in a flat channel under the effect of a constant pressure gradient. Formulas for fluid flow, velocity distribution, and other hydrodynamic characteristics were found. Transient processes during unsteady flow of a viscoelastic fluid in a flat channel are investigated based on the discovered formulas. The analysis’s conclusions demonstrated that, at small Debord number values, the procedures of changing a viscoelastic fluid’s properties from an unstable to a stationary state essentially don’t differ from those of a Newtonian fluid. Exceeding the Debord number relatively unity, it has been established that the process of transition of a viscoelastic fluid from an unsteady state to a stationary state is of a wave nature, in contrast to the transition process of a Newtonian fluid, and the transition time is several times longer than that of a Newtonian fluid. It was also discovered that perturbed processes can arise during the transition. These disturbances occurring in unsteady flows of a viscoelastic fluid can be stabilized by mixing the Newtonian fluid within it. The implementation of this property is important in preventing technical failures or malfunctions.

A novel numerical analysis method for predicting non-Newtonian lubricant (grease) distribution in ball bearings

Grease is a visco-elastic fluid and the most common lubricant for rolling bearings. During the churning phase (initial phase) of bearing operation, most of the grease is collected at various locations in the bearing, e.g. by the seal, at the bottom cage bar, in the cage pockets, which are then called grease reservoirs. These are formed based on bearing operating conditions, grease type, bearing geometry, bearing type. The grease reservoirs supply lubricant to the bearing contacts via bleeding: during operation the oil bleeds out of the reservoirs and lubricates the contacts. Since the distribution of grease is crucial to the bearing lubrication, the design of bearing components e.g., the cage, shall aim at an optimal grease reservoir creation during the churning phase. It is difficult to observe the effect of component design on the grease distribution through real life experiments, so CFD simulations with MPS (Moving Particle Semi-implicit) method are performed here. Flow Simulations with MPS method can help determine the factors influencing the grease distribution inside the bearing after churning, with the final aim of enhancing lubrication. For the current simulations, a CAE software based on MPS, namely Particleworks, was used. Grease consists of a base oil, a thickener, and additives. Since it is a non-Newtonian fluid, it has a nonlinear relation shear stress vs shear rate. It is a visco-elastic material, so it does not flow in the absence of a threshold force. For current simulations, the grease rheology has been modelled using the Herschel-Bulkley model. The model was fitted on in-house rheometer test data and was reduced to a single cage-ball segment. All critical kinematic properties were preserved, that is the speeds of both the inner ring and ball surfaces and the oscillation of the ball position within the pocket as it travels through the loaded and unloaded zones of the bearing. The location and the duration of grease injections resulted in different grease distributions in the model. For demonstration purposes, this document only focuses on the results obtained injecting a grease layer on the inner ring surface in front of the contact. This realistically predicted grease reservoirs to be located at the cage bottom, on the top of cage and in the cage pockets. Sensitivity study on particle size, time step, surface tension and the parametric variation of the bearing speed were also performed. This is an important milestone, as we are able for the first time to virtually simulate the onset of grease reservoirs at locations corresponding to evidence from real bearing operations. The distribution of grease observed at the cage pockets is very important for oil film replenishment. This outcome gives us confidence that the MPS method can be used to support the design of bearing components contributing to enhanced lubrication.

STABILITY ANALYSIS OF RIVLIN-ERICKSEN FLUID FILM WITH HEAT TRANSFER THROUGH AN ANNULAR POROUS MEDIUM

A theoretical study was conducted to analyze the stability of the interface between viscous and viscoelastic fluids, considering heat and mass transfer between the phases. The study used Rivlin-Ericksen's model for viscoelastic liquid and an irrotational flow theory to analyze the problem. A rigid cylinder surrounded the annular region of the viscoelastic liquid and viscous fluid. The viscous fluid was located in the inner region, while the viscoelastic liquid was in the outer region. The analysis did not take into account tangential stress, considered viscosity through normal stress balance, and did not impose no-slip conditions at the two cylindrical rigid boundaries. The results indicate that the interface stability is enhanced under porous conditions due to the heat/mass transfer. A medium with higher permeability stabilizes the interface, while a medium with higher porosity negatively affects the viscoelastic interface. The study compared the stabilizing characteristics of the Rivlin-Ericksen fluid interface under a nonporous and porous medium and found that the interface is more stable under porous media.

Effect of elasticity on the induced charge electro-osmotic mixing of viscoelastic fluids in a micromixer with a conductive cylinder

Mixing of reagents in microfluidics is critical, and currently, the focus is on Newtonian fluids, but these reagents are often viscoelastic fluids. In this study, a micromixer containing a conductive cylinder is proposed based on the principle of induced charge electro-osmosis (ICEO). The Oldroyd-B constitutive model was chosen to characterize the flow properties of viscoelastic fluids, and the Poisson–Boltzmann model was used to describe the ion distribution in the electrolyte. The impact of the elasticity number (El) of viscoelastic fluids on the mixing efficiency, velocity, and vortex in the micromixer was studied. The results show that the mixing efficiency is only 55.41% when El = 0 (Newtonian fluid), and the mixing efficiency reaches 99.08% when El = 50. As El increases from 0 to 50, the cross-sectional average velocity at 50 μm from the micromixer exit decreases from 160 to 26.1 μm/s. Furthermore, the vortices around the conductive plate generated by the ICEO phenomenon begin to fluctuate at El = 7.

Numerical Simulation of the Axisymmetric Wake of a Sphere in a Viscoelastic Fluid

Numerical Simulation of the Axisymmetric Wake of a Sphere in a Viscoelastic Fluid

Elasto-inertial instabilities in the merging flow of viscoelastic fluids.

Many engineering and natural phenomena involve the merging of two fluid streams through a T-junction. Previous studies of such merging flows have been focused primarily upon Newtonian fluids. We observed in our recent experiment with five different polymer solutions a direct change from an undisturbed to either a steady vortical or unsteady three-dimensional flow at the T-junction with increasing inertia. The transition state(s) in between these two types of merging flow patterns is, however, yet to be known. We present here a systematic experimental study of the merging flow of polyethylene oxide (PEO) solutions with varying polymer concentrations and molecular weights. Two new paths of flow development are identified with the increase of Reynolds number: one is the transition in very weakly viscoelastic fluids first to steady vortical flow and then to a juxtaposition state with an unsteady elastic eddy zone in the middle and a steady inertial vortex on each side, and the other is the transition in weakly viscoelastic fluids first to a steady vortical and/or a juxtaposition state and then to a fully unsteady flow. Interestingly, the threshold Reynolds number for the onset of elastic instabilities in the merging flow is not a monotonic function of the elasticity number, but instead follows a power-law dependence on the polymer concentration relative to its overlap value. Such a dependence turns out qualitatively consistent with the prediction of the McKinley-Pakdel criterion.

Studies of interfacial wave properties during displacement with pure viscoelastic fluids in microchannels

In this study, new experimental data for the displacement of a Newtonian liquid by three pure viscoelastic (Boger) fluids with different relaxation times were obtained with imaging in a 500 μm microchannel. Results were compared against those from displacement using a Newtonian liquid. Small irregular waves were observed at the interface for the Newtonian displacement, while periodic instabilities were seen for all Boger fluid cases. The elastic Mach number (Ma), describing the ratio of the flow velocity with the elastic wave propagation velocity, was found to be the key parameter for correlating the wave properties in the case of Boger fluids. The amplitude of the wavy interface initially increased up to Ma = 0.5, before decreasing again. The frequency and the wave velocity increased monotonically with increasing Ma. For all configurations, a phase shift of π was found between the top and the bottom interfaces. Correlations from experimental data were developed for all wave properties. Based on these correlations, an empirical wave model was developed to describe the observed planar images and to reconstruct the three-dimensional waves, which resemble a helical structure.