Transport Under Compression of Bubbles in a Non-Newtonian Fluid
Lars G. Westerberg, N. E. Jimmy Olsson and T. Staffan Lundström
Bubble transport is of importance in many applications for non-Newtonian fluids, such as in the manufacture of composite materials where residual bubbles may impair electrical properties, surface appearance and the mechanical properties of the finished products. In this study, a model experiment is performed where a non-Newtonian fluid (grease) containing bubbles is compressed between two plates, whereby the motion of the bubbles is tracked and evaluated using Particle Image Velocimetry. The bubble motion is furthermore analytically modelled and coupled to the experimental results.
Keywords: Bubble motion, non-Newtonian fluid, squeeze flow, Particle Image Velocimetry, grease flow