Study of Taylor dispersion in flows of newtonian and non-newtonian fluids in a bidimensional geometry

A. BOSCHAN, J. CHARETTE, S. GABBANELLI, I. IPPOLITO, R. CHERTCOFF

Buenos Aires

Congreso; Segundo Encuentro Italo-Argentino de Matemática Pura y Aplicada; 2002

Facultad de Ingeniería UBA

The objective of this work is to analyse the flow of newtonian and non-newtonian fluids and the tracer transport properties in a model of fractured media constructed in the laboratory. In a first step the tracer dispersion process was analysed using newtonian fluids and then, flow of polymeric solutions (non-newtonian fluids) inside the fracture were used.   The last experiments were directed to analyse specially those solutions that present shear-thinning effects (nonlinear rheological properties). We carry out bidimensional experiments in one Hele-Shaw cell using axial flow and dyes as tracers.   The experimental, theoretical and numerical results show a decrease in the dispersion coefficients when the polymeric concentration increases. This variation is related to the flattening of the velocity profile and can be predicted with Monte Carlo simulation.