Onset of Flow Reversal in a Vertical T‐channel: Bingham Fluids

Abstract

The commencement of the flow reversal phenomenon is investigated which occurs in the daughter branch of a vertical T‐channel for the flow of Bingham plastic fluids. The combined influences of the imposed forced flow and buoyancy‐driven flow are analyzed at low Reynolds numbers. The mixed convection flow of a Bingham model fluid is explored for a wide range of conditions in terms of Prandtl number, Richardson number, and Bingham number. The critical Richardson number is strongly influenced by the Prandtl number and the yield stress of the Bingham fluids. The dimensionless pressure is seen to decrease with the critical Richardson number. Also, the fractional flow passing through the main branch exhibits a strong direct dependence on the Richardson number while an opposite relationship with Bingham and Prandtl number is observed.