A boundary-only approach to the deformation of a shear-thinning drop in extensional Newtonian flow
The influence of shear thinning on drop deformation is examined through a numerical simulation. A two-dimensional formulation within the scope of the boundary element method (BEM) is proposed for a drop driven by the ambient flow inside a channel of a general shape, with emphasis on a convergent-divergent channel. The drop is assumed to be shear thinning, obeying the Carreau-Bird model and the suspending fluid is Newtonian. The viscosity of the drop at any time is estimated on the basis of a rate-of-strain averaged over the region occupied by the drop. The viscosity thus changes from one time step to the next, and it is strongly influenced by drop deformation. It is found that small drops, flowing on the axis, elongate in the convergent part of the channel, then regain their spherical form in the divergent part; thus confirming experimental observations. Newtonian drops placed off-axis are found to rotate during the flow with the period related to the initial extension, i.e. to the drop aspect ratio. This rotation is strongly prohibited by shear thinning. The formulation is validated by monitoring the local change of viscosity along the interface between the drop and the suspending fluid. It is found that the viscosity averaged over the drop compares, generally to within a few per cent, with the exact viscosity along the interface. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
newtonian flow shear thinning drop deformation boundary element