Flow of a Viscoelastic Fluid Around a Falling Sphere

Velocity vector fields around a falling sphere in a 1.0 wt % polyacrylamide (PAA) solution are obtained on a vertical cross section by particle image velocimetry (PIV). PAA solution is known as non-Newtonian fluid, which has shear thinning and viscoelastic property. Strain rate tensor fields and deformation fields are calculated from the velocity vector fields in order to visualize the dynamic behavior of the fluid quantitatively. In velocity vector field, two typical flow regions are observed in the wake of the sphere: approaching flow to the sphere, rising flow called “negative wake” [1]. Results show that the strain rate tensor field gives fluid strain at the approaching flow region and the edge of the negative wake. Furthermore deformation history of one portion of the fluid shows that fluid is strained in the approaching flow region, and the strain rate at the edge of the negative wake represents their recovery to the original status of the fluid in the moving frame.