2.

Power Law Fluid

The equivalent problem statement is

Given: Q,m,n, ρ,D,L Find: DF

Note that we have an additional fluid property (m and n instead of μ ), but we also
assume that pipe roughness has a negligible effect, so the total number of
variables is the same.

The corresponding dimensionless variables are f, N Re.pl, and n [which are related
by Eq. (6-47)], and the unknown (DF =ef ) appears in only one group ( f ).

The procedure just followed for a Newtonian fluid can thus also be applied to a
power law fluid if the appropriate equations are used, as follows.

1. Calculate the Reynolds number (NRe.pl), using Eq. (6-45) and the
volumetric flow rate instead of the velocity, i.e.,

the shear stress and shear rate are negative in pipe flow, the appropriate form of the
power law model for laminar pipe flow is
n
 dv 
n

 rx   m  rx 
.
 rx  m  x  equ 6.42
   dr 

By equating the shear stress from Eqs. (6-42) and (6-4), solving for the velocity gradient,
and introducing the result into Eq. (6-7)

R
dv x
Q    r 2 dr Eq. (6-7)
0
dr

(as was done for the Newtonian fluid), the flow rate is found to be

r
 rx    w r
R equ 6.4
2L
 1 1  3 n 1
  nR
2 1    n n 
Q    w 
 mR 
r
0
n
dr    w   R
 mR   3n  1 
n

This is the power law equivalent of the Hagen–Poiseuille equation. It can be written in
dimensionless form by expressing the wall stress in terms of the friction factor using Eq.
(6-5), solving for f, and equating the result to 16/NRe (i.e., the form of the Newtonian
result). The result is an expression that is identical to the dimensionless Hagen–
Poiseuille equation:

fN Re . pl  16
Equ6.44

if the Reynolds number for the power law fluid is defined as

8 D nV 2n
N Re. pl  Eq. (6-45)
m 2 3n  1 / n
n

n
2 73n Q 2 n  n 
N Re . pl    equ 6.71
m 2 n D 43 n  3n  1 

2. Calculate f from Eq. (6-47).


f  1    f L 
f T
8
 f Tr8  1
8 equ 6.47

Where

16
fL  equ 6.48
N Re . pl

0.0682n 1 2
fT  1  1.87  2.39 n 
N Re . Pl equ 6.49
f Tr  1.79 x10 4 exp  5.24n  N Re
0.414  0.75 n
. Pl

equ 6.50

fL 
1  4 
equ 6.51

3. Calculate ef (hence DF) from Eq. (6-68).

 4 fL  V  32 fLQ 2
2
ef     
 d  2   2D2
equ 6.68
And

  
DF    w  equ 6.69
  

DF  e f 
1
2
 2V22  1V12 

From the resulting value of DF, the required pump head (-w/g) can be
determined, for example, from a knowledge of the upstream and downstream
pressures and elevations using Eq. (6-69).