Experimental studies on the axisymmetric sphere-wall interaction in Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids

TLDR: In this article, a servo-driving system was set-up by assembling a microstepping motor, a ball screw and a linear motion guide for the particle motion in a non-Newtonian fluid.

Abstract: In this research, experimental studies have been performed on the hydrodynamic interaction between a spherical particle and a plane wall by measuring the force between the particle and wall. To approach the system as a resistance problem, a servo-driving system was set-up by assembling a microstepping motor, a ball screw and a linear motion guide for the particle motion. Glycerin and dilute solution of polyacrylamide in glycerin were used as Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, respectively. The polymer solution behaves like a Boger fluid when the concentration is 1,000 ppm or less. The experimental results were compared with the asymptotic solution of Stokes equation. The result shows that fluid inertia plays an important role in the particle-wall interaction in Newtonian fluid. This implies that the motion of two particles in suspension is not reversible even in Newtonian fluid. In non-Newtonian fluid, normal stress difference and viscoelasticity play important roles as expected. In the dilute solution weak shear thinning and the migration of polymer molecules in the inhomogeneous flow field also affect the physics of the problem.