Design of test rig for visualizations of cylindrical shear and pressure driven Couette flow using μPIV

• Couette flow is often encountered in concentric cylinder application such as rheometers etc. Being able to visualize such flows is of interest both from a fundamental point of view to understand the dynamics of complex fluids, but also in specific applications such as lubricants flowing through seal geometries. In this study a concentric cylinder test rig has been designed to visualize Couette flow in both radial and axial direction using micro Particle Image Velocimetry. The rig allows for control of the flow motion; the rotating inner cylinder creates a peripheral flow and an applied pressure in the axial direction creates a pressure driven flow. Thus, a single flow direction or a combination of directions can be analyzed. To demonstrate the technique a flow of a non-Newtonian shear thinning fluid in the form of lubricating grease was investigated and discussed. It is found that it is possible to capture the yield behavior of the grease, with regions of fully and partially yielded flow visible. The influence of temperature creep flow is also presented. Grease with both high and low yield stress are measured and compared could be measured and compared in a pocket with variable size. Furthermore, non-homogeneous effects such as shear banding and wall slip can be visualized. The test rig has thus a high potential to investigate the influence of wall material and wettability between fluids and the housing on the flow and wall slip behavior as long as the fluid is optically transparent.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Tribologi (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Tribology (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Strömningsmekanik och akustik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Fluid Mechanics and Acoustics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Maskinelement

Machine Elements

Strömningslära

Fluid Mechanics

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)