Viscoelastic Fluid Flow in a Sudden Expansion Circular Channel as a Model for the Blood Flow Experiments

In the current flow visualization studies, the role of non-Newtonian characteristics (such as shearra to dependent viscosity and viscoelasticity ) on flow behavior across the sudden ex- pansion step in a circular pipe as a model for blood flow experiments is investigated over a wide range of Reynolds numbers. The expansion ratios tested are 2.000 and 2.667 and the range of the Reynolds number covered in the current flow visualization tests are 10~35, 000 based on the inlet. diameter. The reattachment longuEs for the viscoelastic fluids in the lami- nar flow regime are found to be much shorter than those for the Newtonian fluid. In addition it decreases significantly with increasing concentration of viscoelastic fluids at the same Reynolds number. However, in the turbulent flow regime, the reattachment length for the viscoelastic fluids Is two or three times longer than those for water, and gradually increases with increasing concentration of viscoelastic solutions, resulting In 25 and 28 step-height dis- tances for 500 and 1, 000 lpm ployacrylamide solutions, respectively. This may be due to the fact that the elasticity in pobacrylamide solutions suppresses the eddy motion and controls separation and reattachment behavior in the sudden expansion pips flow.