Abstract
A two-dimensional steady flow of viscoelastic and Newtonian liquids is investigated in Y-shaped channel. In the present paper a Maxwell model in which the viscosity term is due to Carreau is used for the viscoelastic liquid. It is the purpose of the present work to investigate the effects of elasticity and non-Newtonian viscosity on flow pattern.
Numerical results agree qualitatively with experimental observations. With viscoelastic liquids a secondary flow appears upstream of the Y-shaped junction on its acute angle side. The region of secondary flow becomes larger with increasing Reynolds and Weissenberg numbers showing effects of elasticity and non-Newtonian viscosity. Whereas in the Newtonian flow no secondary flow appears at these Reynolds numbers, but when the Reynolds number becomes large a secondary flow appears downstream of the Y-shaped junction on its acute angle side.
