• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
• /
• 제18권4호
• /
• pp.171-181
• /
• 2006

We present a short review for authors' previous work on direct numerical simulations for inertialess hard particle suspensions formulated either with a Newtonian fluid or with viscoelastic polymeric fluids to understand the microstructural evolution and the bulk material behavior. We employ two well-defined bi-periodic domain concepts such that a single cell problem with a small number of particles may represent a large number of repeated structures: one is the sliding bi-periodic frame for simple shear flow and the other is the extensional bi-periodic frame for planar elongational flow. For implicit treatment of hydrodynamic interaction between particle and fluid, we use the finite-element/fictitious-domain method similar to the distributed Lagrangian multiplier (DLM) method together with the rigid ring description. The bi-periodic boundary conditions can be effectively incorportated as constraint equations and implemented by Lagrangian multipliers. The bulk stress can be evaluated by simple boundary integrals of stresslets on the particle boundary in such formulations. Some 2-D example results are presented to show effects of the solid fraction and the particle configuration on the shear and elongational viscosity along with the micro-structural evolution for both particles and fluid. Effects of the fluid elasticity has been also presented.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
• /
• 제13권3호
• /
• pp.109-123
• /
• 2001

A stress jump, defined as the instantaneous gain or loss of stress on startup or cessation of a deformation, has been predicted by various models and has relatively recently been experimentally observed. In 1993, Liang and Mackay measured shear stress jump data of xanthan gum solutions, and in 1996, Orr and Sridhar reported extensional stress jump data of Boger fluids. Shear stress jumps of suspensions and liquid crystal polymers have also been observed. In this contribution, experimental work as well as a variety of theoretical models, which are able to predict a stress jump, are reviewed.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
• /
• 제17권3호
• /
• pp.131-140
• /
• 2005

In this work we show the results of our most recent Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) of turbulent viscoelastic channel flow using spectral spatial approximations and a stabilizing artificial diffusion in the viscoelastic constitutive model. The Finite-Elasticity Non-Linear Elastic Dumbbell model with the Peterlin approximation (FENE-P) is used to represent the effect of polymer molecules in solution, The corresponding rheological parameters are chosen so that to get closer to the conditions corresponding to maximum drag reduction: A high extensibility parameter (60) and a moderate solvent viscosity ratio (0.8) are used with two different friction Weissenberg numbers (50 and 100). We then first find that the corresponding achieved drag reduction, in the range of friction Reynolds numbers used in this work (180-590), is insensitive to the Reynolds number (in accordance to previous work). The obtained drag reduction is at the level of $49\%\;and\;63\%$, for the friction Weissenberg numbers 50 and 100, respectively. The largest value is substantially higher than any of our previous simulations, performed at more moderate levels of viscoelasticity (i.e. higher viscosity ratio and smaller extensibility parameter values). Therefore, the maximum extensional viscosity exhibited by the modeled system and the friction Weissenberg number can still be considered as the dominant factors determining the levels of drag reduction. These can reach high values, even for of dilute polymer solution (the system modeled by the FENE-P model), provided the flow viscoelasticity is high, corresponding to a high polymer molecular weight (which translates to a high extensibility parameter) and a high friction Weissenberg number. Based on that and the changes observed in the turbulent structure and in the most prevalent statistics, as presented in this work, we can still rationalize for an increasing extensional resistance-based drag reduction mechanism as the most prevalent mechanism for drag reduction, the same one evidenced in our previous work: As the polymer elasticity increases, so does the resistance offered to extensional deformation. That, in turn, changes the structure of the most energy-containing turbulent eddies (they become wider, more well correlated, and weaker in intensity) so that they become less efficient in transferring momentum, thus leading to drag reduction. Such a continuum, rheology-based, mechanism has first been proposed in the early 70s independently by Metzner and Lamley and is to be contrasted against any molecularly based explanations.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
• /
• 제16권4호
• /
• pp.213-218
• /
• 2004

Linear high-density polyethylene (PE) was controlled to induce strain-hardening behavior by introducing a small amount of second component with an anisotropic structure. In order to form an anisotropic structure in the PE matrix, the polymer was extruded through a twin-screw extruder, and the structure was controlled by varying the extrusion conditions. Depending on conditions, the second component formed a film, thread and droplet structure. If the second component was kept rigid, the morphology evolution could be delayed and the second component could maintain its film or thread structure without further relaxation. In par­ticular, the second component of the thread structure made a physical network and gave rise to remarkable strain hardening behavior under high extension. This study suggests a new method that induces strain hard­ening behavior by introducing a physically networked second component into the linear polymer melt. This result is anticipated to improve the processibility of linear polymers especially when extensional flow is dominant, and to contribute to our understanding of strain hardening behavior.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
• /
• 제19권1호
• /
• pp.27-33
• /
• 2007

The co-extrusion of multi-layer films has been studied with the focus on its process stability. As in the single-layer film casting process, the productivity of the industrially important multi-layer film casting and the quality of thus produced films have often been hampered by various instabilities occurring in the process including draw resonance, a supercritical Hopfbifurcation instability, frequently encountered when the draw ratio is raised beyond a certain critical value. In this study, this draw resonance instability along with the neck-in of the film width has been investigated for a three-layer film casting using a varying width non-isothermal 1-D model of the system with Phan-Thien and Tanner (PTT) constitutive equation known for its robustness in portraying extensional deformation processes. The effects of various process conditions, e.g., the aspect ratio, the thickness ratio of the individual film layers, and cooling of the process, on the stability have been examined through the nonlinear stability analysis.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
• /
• 제15권2호
• /
• pp.91-96
• /
• 2003

The sensitivity of the product to the ongoing sinusoidal disturbances of the process has been investigated in the film casting of viscoelastic polymer fluids using frequency response analysis. As demonstrated for fiber spinning process (Jung et al., 2002; Devereux and Denn, 1994), this frequency response analysis is useful for examining the process sensitivity and the stability of extensional deformation processes including film casting. The results of the present study reveal that the amplification ratios or gains of the process/product variables such as the cross-sectional area at the take-up to disturbances exhibit resonant peaks along the frequency regime as expected for the systems having hyperbolic characteristics with spilt boundary conditions (Friedly, 1972). The effects on the sensitivity results of two important parameters of film casting, i.e., the fluid viscoelasticity and the aspect ratio of the casting equipment have been scrutinized. It turns out that depending on the extension thinning or thickening nature of the fluid, increasing viscoelasticity results in enlargement or reduction of the sensitivity, respectively. As regards the aspect ratio, it has been found that an optimum value exists making the system least sensitive. The present study also confirms that the frequency response method produces results that corroborate well those by other methods like linear stability Analysis and transient solutions response. (Iyengar and Co, 1996; Silagy et al., 1996; Lee and Hyun, 2001).

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
• /
• 제21권4호
• /
• pp.225-233
• /
• 2009

In various attempts to relate the behaviour of highly-elastic liquids in complex flows to their rheometrical behaviour, obvious candidates for study have been the variation of shear viscosity with shear rate, the two normal stress differences $N_1$ and $N_2$, especially $N_1$, and the extensional viscosity $\eta_E$. In this paper, we shall be mainly interested in 'constant-viscosity' Boger fluids, and, accordingly, we shall limit attention to $N_1$ and $\eta_E$. We shall concentrate on two important flows - axisymmetric contraction flow and "splashing" (particularly that which arises when a liquid drop falls onto the tree surface of the same liquid). Modern numerical techniques are employed to provide the theoretical predictions. It is shown that the two obvious manifestations of viscoelastic rheometrical behaviour can sometimes be opposing influences in determining flow characteristics. Specifically, in an axisymmetric contraction flow, high $\eta_E$ can retard the flow, whereas high $N_1$ can have the opposite effect. In the splashing experiment, high $\eta_E$ can certainly reduce the height of the so-called Worthington jet, thus confirming some early suggestions, but, again, other rheometrical influences can also have a role to play and the overall picture may not be as clear as it was once envisaged.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
• /
• 제18권2호
• /
• pp.41-49
• /
• 2006

A modified Volume-of-Fluid (VOF) numerical method is used to predict the dynamics of a liquid drop of a low viscosity dilute polymer solution, forming in air from a circular nozzle. Viscoelastic effects are rep-resented using an Oldroyd-B model. Predicted drop shapes are compared with experimental observations. The main features, including the timing of the shape evolution and the 'bead-on-a-string' effect, are well reproduced by the simulations. The results confirm published conclusions of the third author, that the deformation is effectively Newtonian until near the time of Newtonian pinch-off and that the elastic stress becomes large in the pinch region due to the higher extensional flow there.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
• /
• 제14권1호
• /
• pp.25-32
• /
• 2002

We report the first steps of a collaborative project between the University of Queensland, Polyflow, Michelin, SK Chemicals, and RMIT University, on simulation, validation and application of a recently introduced constitutive model designed to describe branched polymers. Whereas much progress has been made on predicting the complex flow behaviour of many - in particular linear - polymers, it sometimes appears difficult to predict simultaneously shear thinning and extensional strain hardening behaviour using traditional constitutive models. Recently a new viscoelastic model based on molecular topology, was proposed by McLeish and carson (1998). We explore the predictive power of a differential multi-mode version of the porn-pom model for the flow behaviour of two commercial polymer melts: a (long-chain branched) low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and a (linear) high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The model responses are compared to elongational recovery experiments published by Langouche and Debbaut (19c99), and start-up of simple shear flow, stress relaxation after simple and reverse step strain experiments carried out in our laboratory.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
• /
• 제11권3호
• /
• pp.225-232
• /
• 1999

This study presents 1-dimensional simple model for sheet casting or rectangular fiber spinning process. In order to achieve this goal, we introduce the concept of force flux balance at the die exit, which assigns for the extensional flow outside the die the initial condition containing the information of shear flow history inside the die. With the Leonov constitutive equation that predicts non-vanishing second normal stress difference in shear flow, we are able to describe the anisotropic swelling behavior of the extrudate at least qualitatively. In other words, the negative value of the second normal stress difference causes thickness swelling much higher than width of extrudate. This result implies the importance of choosing the rheological model in the analysis of polymer processing operations, since the constitutive equation with the vanishing second normal stress difference is shown to exhibit the characteristic of isotropic swelling, that is, the thickness swell ratio always equal to the ratio in width direction.