Analytical solution for dynamic pressurization of viscoelastic fluids

The flow of simplified Phan-Thien-Tanner model fluid between parallel plates is studied analytically for the case where the upper plate moves at constant velocity. Two forms of the stress coefficient, linear and exponential, are used in the constitutive equation. For the linear stress coefficient, the dimensionless pressure gradient, the velocity profile and the product of friction factor and Reynolds number are obtained for a wide range of flow rate, Deborah number and elongational parameter. The results indicate the strong effects of the viscoelastic parameter on the velocity profile, the extremum of the velocity, and the friction factor. A correlation for the maximum pressure rise in single screw extruders is proposed. For the exponential stress coefficient, only velocity profiles were obtained and compared with velocity profiles obtained with the linear stress coefficient. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.