Paper Number
PO79
Session
Poster Session
Title
The effect of confinement on the observed rheology of complex fluid flow in microcapillaries
Presentation Date and Time
October 23, 2019 (Wednesday) 6:30
Track / Room
Poster Session / Ballroom C on 4th floor
Authors
- Weston, Javen (University of Tulsa, Chemical Engineering)
- Trigo, Elio (University of Tulsa, Chemical Engineering)
Author and Affiliation Lines
Javen Weston and Elio Trigo
Chemical Engineering, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK 74104
Speaker / Presenter
Trigo, Elio
Text of Abstract
Properly characterizing the rheology of non-Newtonian fluids is a key step when designing any process where the fluid will be flowing. Numerous well-designed rheometers and viscometers can perfectly characterize the bulk rheology of even the most complex non-Newtonian fluids. However, in various applications, complex fluids flow in small capillaries (<200 µm in diameter), where deviations from bulk rheology due to surface effects and confinement become much more important to understanding the behavior and path of the fluid flow. In order to properly model fluid flow in porous media where pore diameters are relatively small, it is necessary to characterize the dynamical flow behavior of the fluid under those conditions rather than simply extrapolating from bulk rheological measurements made using a rheometer. This research uses capillary rheometry and microscopy to study how surface charge, surface hydrophobicity, and confinement affects complex fluid rheology in micron-scale capillaries. The data generated from model systems is then used to develop models to describe the fluid flow.