Pipe flow Bingham plastic fluids

For a Bingham plastic fluid flow in a circular pipe and annular space, the effective viscosities are given as [61]. 

Non-Newtonian Flow For isothermal laminar flow of time-independent non-Newtonian liquids, integration of the Cauchy momentum equations yields the fully developed velocity profile and flow rate-pressure drop relations. For the Bingham plastic fluid described by Eq. (6-3), in a pipe of diameter D and a pressure drop per unit length AP/L, the flow rate is given by... 

A Bingham-plastic fluid (yield stress 14.35 N/m2 and plastic viscosity 0.150 Ns/m2) is flowing through a pipe of diameter 40 mm and length 200 m. Starting with the rheological equation, show that the relation between pressure gradient —AP/l and volumetric flowrate Q is ... 

Figure 3.4 Schematic velocity distribution for laminar flow of a Bingham plastic fluid in a pipe...

Despite the fact that equation (3.37) is applicable to all kinds of time-independent fluids, numerous workers have presented expressions for turbulent flow friction factors for specific fluid models. For instance, Tomita [1959] applied the concept of the Prandtl mixing length and put forward modified definitions of the friction factor and Reynolds number for the turbulent flow of Bingham Plastic fluids in smooth pipes so that the Nikuradse equation, i.e. equation (3.37) with n = 1, could be used. Though he tested the applicability of his method using his own data in the range 2000 < Reg(l — 4>f 3 — )< 10, the validity of this approach has not been established using independent experimental data. 

For pipe flow of Bingham plastic type drilling fluid, the following can be used ... 

Fluids whose behaviour can be approximated by the power-law or Bingham-plastic equation are essentially special cases, and frequently the rheology may be very much more complex so that it may not be possible to fit simple algebraic equations to the flow curves. It is therefore desirable to adopt a more general approach for time-independent fluids in fully-developed flow which is now introduced. For a more detailed treatment and for examples of its application, reference should be made to more specialist sources/14-17) If the shear stress is a function of the shear rate, it is possible to invert the relation to give the shear rate, y = —dux/ds, as a function of the shear stress, where the negative sign is included here because velocity decreases from the pipe centre outwards. 

A Bingham plastic material is flowing under streamline conditions in a pipe of circular cross-section. What are the conditions for one half of the total flow to be within the central core across which the velocity profile is fiat The shear stress acting within die fluid Ry varies with velocity gradient du,/dy according to the relation ... 

Corresponding expressions for the friction loss in laminar and turbulent flow for non-Newtonian fluids in pipes, for the two simplest (two-parameter) models—the power law and Bingham plastic—can be evaluated in a similar manner. The power law model is very popular for representing the viscosity of a wide variety of non-Newtonian fluids because of its simplicity and versatility. However, extreme care should be exercised in its application, because any application involving extrapolation beyond the range of shear stress (or shear rate) represented by the data used to determine the model parameters can lead to misleading or erroneous results. 

The slurry behaves as a non-Newtonian fluid, which can be described as a Bingham plastic with a yield stress of 40 dyn/cm2 and a limiting viscosity of 100 cP. Calculate the pressure gradient (in psi/ft) for this slurry flowing at a velocity of 8 ft/s in a 10 in. ID pipe. 

Since the relationship between 8V/D and DAP/4L is independent of pipe diameter, the same is true of Eqs. (17) to (19) inclusive. They are applicable to all four types of common flow behavior, i.e., to pseudoplastic, Newtonian, Bingham-plastic, and dilatant fluids. 

In laminar flow of Bingham-plastic types of materials the kinetic energy of the stream would be expected to vary from V2/2gc at very low flow rates (when the fluid over the entire cross section of the pipe moves as a solid plug) to V2/gc at high flow rates when the plug-flow zone is of negligible breadth and the velocity profile parabolic as for the flow of Newtonian fluids. McMillen (M5) has solved the problem for intermediate flow rates, and for practical purposes one may conclude... 

Figure 28. Comparison of calculated frictional pressures for flow of a drilling fluid in a pipe using (a) power law and (b) Bingham plastic models. (Data from reference 106.)...

Laminar flow conditions cease to exist at Rcmod = 2100. The calculation of the critical velocity corresponding to Rcmod = 2100 requires an iterative procedure. For known rheology (p, m, n, Xq) and pipe diameter (D), a value of the wall shear stress is assumed which, in turn, allows the calculation of Rp, from equation (3.9), and Q and Qp from equations (3.14b) and (3.14a) respectively. Thus, all quanties are then known and the value of Rcmod can be calculated. The procedure is terminated when the value of x has been found which makes RCjnod = 2100, as illustrated in example 3.4 for the special case of n = 1, i.e., for the Bingham plastic model, and in example 3.5 for a Herschel-Bulkley fluid. Detailed comparisons between the predictions of equation (3.34) and experimental data reveal an improvement in the predictions, though the values of the critical velocity obtained using the criterion Rqmr = 2100 are only 20-25% lower than those predicted by equation (3.34). Furthermore, the two... 

---