Microfluidic Rheometry and Particle Settling: Characterizing the Effect of Polymer Solution Elasticity
The efficient transport of solid particles using polymeric fluids is an important step in many industrial operations. Different viscoelastic fluids have been designed for this purpose, however, the effects of elasticity have not been fully integrated in examining the particle-carrying capacity of th...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/4/657 |
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| author | Salah A. Faroughi Francesco Del Giudice |
| author_facet | Salah A. Faroughi Francesco Del Giudice |
| author_sort | Salah A. Faroughi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The efficient transport of solid particles using polymeric fluids is an important step in many industrial operations. Different viscoelastic fluids have been designed for this purpose, however, the effects of elasticity have not been fully integrated in examining the particle-carrying capacity of the fluids. In this work, two elastic fluid formulations were employed to experimentally clarify the effect of elasticity on the particle drag coefficient as a proxy model for measuring carrying capacity. Fluids were designed to have a constant shear viscosity within a specific range of shear rates, <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mover accent="true"><mi>γ</mi><mo>˙</mo></mover><mo><</mo><mn>50</mn><mspace width="3.33333pt"></mspace><mrow><mo>(</mo><mn>1</mn><mo>/</mo><mi mathvariant="normal">s</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, while possessing distinct (longest) relaxation times to investigate the influence of elasticity. It is shown that for dilute polymeric solutions, microfluidic rheometry must be practiced to obtain a reliable relaxation time (as one of the measures of viscoelasticity), which is on the order of milliseconds. A calibrated experimental setup, furnished with two advanced particle velocity measurement techniques and spheres with different characteristics, was used to quantify the effect of elasticity on the drag coefficient. These experiments led to a unique dataset in moderate levels of Weissenberg numbers, <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mn>0</mn><mo><</mo><mi>W</mi><mi>i</mi><mo><</mo><mn>8.5</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>. The data showed that there is a subtle reduction in the drag coefficient at low levels of elasticity (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>W</mi><mi>i</mi><mo><</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>), and a considerable enhancement at high levels of elasticity (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>W</mi><mi>i</mi><mo>></mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>). The experimental results were then compared with direct numerical simulation predictions yielding <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msup><mi>R</mi><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>=</mo><mn>0.982</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>. These evaluations endorse the numerically quantified behaviors for the drag coefficient to be used to compare the particle-carrying capacity of different polymeric fluids under different flow conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:12:16Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:12:16Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
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| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-9a356911eefa4ea29db119dd722de2032023-11-23T21:43:42ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602022-02-0114465710.3390/polym14040657Microfluidic Rheometry and Particle Settling: Characterizing the Effect of Polymer Solution ElasticitySalah A. Faroughi0Francesco Del Giudice1Geo-Intelligence Laboratory, Ingram School of Engineering, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USADepartment of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Swansea University Bay Campus, Fabian Way, Swansea SA1 8EN, UKThe efficient transport of solid particles using polymeric fluids is an important step in many industrial operations. Different viscoelastic fluids have been designed for this purpose, however, the effects of elasticity have not been fully integrated in examining the particle-carrying capacity of the fluids. In this work, two elastic fluid formulations were employed to experimentally clarify the effect of elasticity on the particle drag coefficient as a proxy model for measuring carrying capacity. Fluids were designed to have a constant shear viscosity within a specific range of shear rates, <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mover accent="true"><mi>γ</mi><mo>˙</mo></mover><mo><</mo><mn>50</mn><mspace width="3.33333pt"></mspace><mrow><mo>(</mo><mn>1</mn><mo>/</mo><mi mathvariant="normal">s</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, while possessing distinct (longest) relaxation times to investigate the influence of elasticity. It is shown that for dilute polymeric solutions, microfluidic rheometry must be practiced to obtain a reliable relaxation time (as one of the measures of viscoelasticity), which is on the order of milliseconds. A calibrated experimental setup, furnished with two advanced particle velocity measurement techniques and spheres with different characteristics, was used to quantify the effect of elasticity on the drag coefficient. These experiments led to a unique dataset in moderate levels of Weissenberg numbers, <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mn>0</mn><mo><</mo><mi>W</mi><mi>i</mi><mo><</mo><mn>8.5</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>. The data showed that there is a subtle reduction in the drag coefficient at low levels of elasticity (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>W</mi><mi>i</mi><mo><</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>), and a considerable enhancement at high levels of elasticity (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>W</mi><mi>i</mi><mo>></mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>). The experimental results were then compared with direct numerical simulation predictions yielding <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msup><mi>R</mi><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>=</mo><mn>0.982</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>. These evaluations endorse the numerically quantified behaviors for the drag coefficient to be used to compare the particle-carrying capacity of different polymeric fluids under different flow conditions.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/4/657viscoelasticityparticle settlingdilute polymeric solutionsOldroyd-B modelmicrofluidic rheometrydrag coefficient |
| spellingShingle | Salah A. Faroughi Francesco Del Giudice Microfluidic Rheometry and Particle Settling: Characterizing the Effect of Polymer Solution Elasticity Polymers viscoelasticity particle settling dilute polymeric solutions Oldroyd-B model microfluidic rheometry drag coefficient |
| title | Microfluidic Rheometry and Particle Settling: Characterizing the Effect of Polymer Solution Elasticity |
| title_full | Microfluidic Rheometry and Particle Settling: Characterizing the Effect of Polymer Solution Elasticity |
| title_fullStr | Microfluidic Rheometry and Particle Settling: Characterizing the Effect of Polymer Solution Elasticity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microfluidic Rheometry and Particle Settling: Characterizing the Effect of Polymer Solution Elasticity |
| title_short | Microfluidic Rheometry and Particle Settling: Characterizing the Effect of Polymer Solution Elasticity |
| title_sort | microfluidic rheometry and particle settling characterizing the effect of polymer solution elasticity |
| topic | viscoelasticity particle settling dilute polymeric solutions Oldroyd-B model microfluidic rheometry drag coefficient |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/4/657 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT salahafaroughi microfluidicrheometryandparticlesettlingcharacterizingtheeffectofpolymersolutionelasticity AT francescodelgiudice microfluidicrheometryandparticlesettlingcharacterizingtheeffectofpolymersolutionelasticity |