MEAM Seminar: “Rheological Evaluation of Complex Fluids for Fluid Mechanics Studies”

Recent development of computational fluid mechanics allows to simulate wide range of fluid mechanics problems, but it requires appropriate constitutive equations and rheological properties to represent behavior of complex fluid flows. Standard torque-type rheometer, which is conventional rheometer with assuming ideal constant shear profiles in a thin test fluid layer, however, essential problems on the methodology for the complex fluids. We recently established velocity-profiling-assisted rheometry, which resolves the problem to determine local shear rate by velocity profiling, and the rheometry also has advantages of instantaneous evaluations of the properties. In my talk, I will explain idea of the rheometry, and practical algorithms to realize the evaluation, and introduce some applications of the rheological evaluations, for example, polymer solutions, particle suspensions, and fluid foods.