Non‐Newtonian behavior of a suspension of liquid drops in tube flow

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
This paper present an analysis and computed results of the flow of deformable droplets of one Newtonian flow suspended in another Newtonian fluid. Surface tension is assumed to act at the interface of the two fluids. Non‐Newtonian characteristics of the suspension are demonstrated and are qualitatively similar to flow characteristics of blood in capillaries.The results show that the deformation of the drops may result in a significant reduction in the pressure gradient compared with that necessary for a suspension of rigid spheres or spherical (nondeformable) liquid drops. The decrease in the pressure gradient is velocity dependent. This constitutes a mechanism of non‐Newtonain behavior of the suspension as a whole, and is attributable to the flexibility of the suspended elements. The resultant shapes of the liquid drops are similar to the shapes of red blood cells that have been observed in narrow glass capillaries as well as in blood vessels.

This publication has 13 references indexed in Scilit: