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Flows of viscoplastic fluids

Lead Research Organisation: University of Bristol
Department Name: Mathematics

Abstract

Large -scale, particle-laden flows pose significant hazards to lives and livelihoods and shape our environment. However there is no consensus on how to model their dynamics, with particular challenges in representing both the stresses that they generate and their ability to entrain deposited material into the flow. At a fundamental level these challenges concern the ability of granular materials to exhibit both fluid-like and solid-like features, an important problem that this research project will undertake through mathematical modelling, analysis and computation.

Publications

10 25 50
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Taylor-West J (2024) Lava Delta Formation: Mathematical Modeling and Laboratory Experiments in Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface

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Taylor-West J (2023) Viscoplastic flow between hinged plates in Journal of Fluid Mechanics

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Taylor-West J (2024) Scraping of a thin layer of viscoplastic fluid in Physical Review Fluids

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Taylor-West J (2021) The converging flow of viscoplastic fluid in a wedge or cone in Journal of Fluid Mechanics

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Taylor-West J (2022) Viscoplastic corner eddies in Journal of Fluid Mechanics

Studentship Projects

Project Reference Relationship Related To Start End Student Name
EP/R513179/1 30/09/2018 29/09/2023
2271366 Studentship EP/R513179/1 30/09/2019 30/03/2023 Jesse Taylor-West
 
Description A number of solutions have been calculated for the flow of a viscoplastic fluid in wedge/corner geometries, . Viscoplastic fluids are a class of fluid which acts like a solid at low stresses but flow like a liquid at higher stresses, and encompass such real-world fluids as mud, cement, toothpaste and peanut-butter. One solution provides a description of the velocities and stresses when such a fluid is pushed through a converging geometry such as a hopper or conical funnel. Another solution determines the extent of stagnant material in a corner when a it is disturbed by forcing far from the corner (with application to fouling and cleaning in food processing geometries). A third solution determines the stresses and velocities when the fluid is squeezed between hinged plates, as for extrusion flows.
Exploitation Route The work is of a fundamental fluid-dynamics nature, and so the most immediate use is likely to be in an academic setting where the asymptotic boundary-layer techniques may be used for other viscoplastic problems. Outside of academia the work could be used to model the forces required to extrude a viscoplastic fluid (such as cement or food pastes) during a manufacturing process or to determine the extent of stagnant regions in transport of food pastes.
Sectors Agriculture

Food and Drink

Construction

Manufacturing

including Industrial Biotechology