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Ecole Nationale Polytechnique de Constantine

General Theory of Continuous Media 2

8. Generalized Newtonian Fluid (GNF)

- Inelastic Fluids

Lyes KHEZZAR
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Academic Year 2023-2024
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Content

• Constitutive law of a generalized Newtonian fluid

• Modeling the deviatoric stress tensor

• Requirements on constitutive laws

• The power law or Ostwald-de Waele model

• Carreau-Yasuda and Bingham models

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1. Generalised Newtonian fluid

Newtonian fluids were characterized by the assumption that the
deviatoric stress T was a linear function of the velocity gradient
components, which led to the derivation of the Navier–Stokes
equations.

In a first step towards the derivation of constitutive equations for

non-Newtonian fluids one could abandon the hypothesis of the
linearity of the deviatoric stress tensor with respect to the
velocity gradients and instead write the viscosity m as a function
of the invariants of D including its magnitude.

T = f ( vi )
(8.1)
T = Tij + p ij deviatoric stress

The function f is non linear.

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1. Generalised Newtonian fluid

A simple choice for the function f would be such that:
 v v 
Tij = 2 m (  ) Dij = m (  )  i + j  (8.2)
 x j xi 
 
 = 2D
This is the generalized Newtonian fluid model.

Note that :

• The stress tensor is directly proportional to the rate of strains.

State of stress instantaneously linked to rate of deformation
tensor.
• There is no explicit time dependency.
• The function m is a function only of the magnitude of the strain
rate tensor which must be determined.

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1. Generalised Newtonian fluid

In explicit form:

 v1 v1 v2 v1 v3 

 2 + + 
 x1 x2 x1 x3 x1 
 v v v2 v3 v2 
Tij = m (  )  1 + 2 2 +  (8.3)
 x2 x1 x2 x2 x3 
 v v3 v3 v2 v 
 1+ + 2 3 
 x3 x1 x2 x3 x3 

 = 2 Dij Dij

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1. Generalised Newtonian fluid

In shear flow:
 v1 v1 v2 v1 v3 
 2 + + 
 x1 x2 x1 x3 x1 
 v v v2 v3 v2 
Tij = m (  )  1 + 2 2 + 
 x2 x1 x2 x2 x3 
 v v3 v3 v2 v 
 1+ + 2 3 
 x3 x1 x2 x3 x3 
 v1 
 0 x2
0
 T11 T12 T13   
v  v 
= 1 T =  T21 T22 
T23  = m (  )  1 0 0
x2 T T x
 31 32 T33   2 
 0 0 0
 
 
The GNF model fails to predict shear normal stresses!
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1. Generalised Newtonian fluid

In addition note the following constraints on the law of behavior

• The stress is a second-order symmetric tensor (for most

materials and for all conventional polymer solutions)
independent of the coordinate system used.

• The response of a material to the imposed stress should be the

same for all observers – Requirement of objectivity. (Only
vectors, tensors and their invariants can appear in the
constitutive equations).

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2. Power-law or Ostwald-de Waele model

The power law or Ostwald-de Waele model (1923):

For shear flow:

m = K  n −1 (8.4)

The apparent viscosity is thus: n −1 n

dv dv
m=K 1 et T12 = K 1
dx2 dx2

Equation (8.4) involves two indices, K is the consistency index

(Pa.sn) and n is the power law index.

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2. Power-law or Ostwald-de Waele model

n>1 Shear thickening

log m

n=1, Newtonian

n<1 Shear thinning

dv1
log  ,  =
dv dx2
log m = log K + ( n − 1) log 1
dx2

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2. Power-law or Ostwald-de Waele model

m = K  n −1
The apparent viscosity given by this relation is independent of the
shear velocity when n = 1. This is the Newtonian case and K is
equal to the viscosity.

When n >1, the fluid is said to be dilatant or shear-thickening.

Equation (8.4) predicts that the apparent viscosity of dilatant fluids
goes to zero when the shear rate approaches zero, and increases
without limit as the shear rate increases.

When n < 1, the fluid is said to be pseudoplastic or shear-thinning.

In this case the apparent viscosity of pseudoplastic fluids is infinite
within the limit of zero shear rate, and approaches zero as the shear
rate increases.

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2. Power-law or Ostwald-de Waele model

Beware of applicability with real materials!!

Power-law
not valid
Newtonian
Plateau

Power-Law

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2. Power-law or Ostwald-de Waele model

Despite the unrealistic prediction of zero and infinite viscosities, the

Ostwald-de Waele power law model is widely used in engineering
work where the shear rate allows it.

Typical values for index n for polymeric materials

Index n Polymeric materials
1 Low molecular mass
0.4-0.8 Processing grade polymers
0.2 High molecular mass

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2. Power-law or Ostwald-de Waele model

In some polymer processing applications, the region of high
shear rates is the most important. We can therefore use the
Generalised Newtonian model (GNF). But it is not always
suitable for all shear rates!!

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2. Power-law or Ostwald-de Waele model

Note:

• A first constitutive law

• Agrees with experimental data well especially when

deformation rates are high

• Simple to use

• Correctly predicts flowrate-pressure drop relationships

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2. Power-law or Ostwald-de Waele model

But

• Fails to predict shear normal stresses

• Fails to predict start-up or stop effects (time dependency,

memory) - only a function of the instantaneous velocity
gradient

• Derived from ad-hoc observations with shear flows;

uncertain validity in shearless flows

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2. Power-law or Ostwald-de Waele model

Example (TD 9 Ex2) Poiseuille flow in a tube:
We study the permanent flow of a non-Newtonian fluid
following the power law in a cylindrical tube. This flow is
important for practical applications such as wire coating and
rheometry.
Given a tube of radius R and length L. The pressure
drop through L is Dp and the volumetric flow rate is Q. The
flow is unidirectional, permanent and uniform along z.

Show that the equation of motion following the axial direction

is given by :
dp 1  ( rTzr )
0=− +
dz r r

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2. Power-law or Ostwald-de Waele model

Show also: r
Tzr = Twall
R
DpR
Where: Twall =
2L

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2. Power-law or Ostwald-de Waele model

For this type of flow only the z-equation of motion remains:

divT +  B =  a
Stress decomposition:
Tij = − pij + Tij
viscous part
Taking the divergence:
divT = -p+divT'
Taking the divergence and using component along z (Eq (2.52
chap 2 part 3) :

T 'zr 1 Tz T T' 1 

( div T') z = + + zz + zr = ( rT 'zr )
r r  z r r r
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2. Power-law or Ostwald-de Waele model

The equation of motion is:
divT =0
-p+divT'=0
Leaving T instead of T’ (from now on) , finally the equation of
motion along the z-direction becomes:
dp 1  ( rTzr )
0=− +
dz r r
This equation can be integrated to give:
r dp C Dp
Tzr = +  Tw R
2 dz r 2L
Tzr r r
=  Tzr = Tw
Tw R R
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2. Power-law or Ostwald-de Waele model

vz
vavg

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2. Power-law or Ostwald-de Waele model

The change in viscosity by the power law, described by
equation (8.4), occurs only in an intermediate interval of
shear rates.
For high shear rates the power law works well. But as shear
rate tends to zero the apparent viscosity tends to zero.

log m
log m0

log m
log 
dv1
=
dx2

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3. Carreau-Yasuda model
Carreau-Yasuda model :

An alternative to the power-law model is the five-parameter

Carreau-Yasuda model.

The Carreau model can capture the low shear rate plateau
and Carreau-Yasuda captures both low and high shear
plateaux and is more flexible.

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3. Carreau-Yasuda model
The Carreau-Yasuda constitutive equation
m −1
m − m 
= 1 + (  ) 
a a (8.5)
m0 − m  

m0 – zero shear rate viscosity [Pa.s]

m – infinite shear rate viscosity [Pa.s]

 – time constants [s]

m - power law exponent determines the

slope of power law region [-]

a - transition parameter [-]

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3. Carreau-Yasuda model
Blood flow rheology - Population Balance Blood Rheology model

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3. Carreau-Yasuda model

The Carreau (1972) :

This model is obtained from Carreau-Yasuda by setting a= 2

m −1
m − m 
= 1 + (  ) 
2 2

m0 − m   (8.6)

If we set a = m= 1, we get the Newtonian law.

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4. Bingham Model
Bingham model: Bingham fluid

Slope m0

T12
Newtonian fluid

Yield stress TY

dv1
dx2
Flow does not occur until the applied stress > to the threshold
yield stress.

1
The yield shear stress is defined by: T : T  TY
2
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4. Bingham Model
Model with two parameters:

 T  TY
 (8.7)
m = TY
 m0 +  T  TY


There are of course other models of inelastic fluids such as the

Carreau, Herschel-Bulkley and Casson.

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What have you learned?

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