Internal microstructure driven turbulence enhancement of fluids

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that internal microstructure in fluids, modeled via micropolar theory, can significantly enhance turbulence by increasing chaotic rotations and interrotational stresses, especially in denser microstructures.

Contribution

It introduces a micropolar theory-based approach to study turbulence in microstructured fluids and reveals microstructure density as a key factor in turbulence intensification.

Findings

Turbulence is intensified by chaotic rotation of microstructure elements.

Shear stress decreases in microstructured fluids, unlike in Newtonian fluids.

Interrotational stresses increase near walls, marking turbulence enhancement.

Abstract

Fluids with internal microstructure like dense suspensions, biological and polymer added fluids, are commonly found in the turbulent regime in many applications. Their flow is extremely difficult to be studied as microstructure complexity and Reynolds number increase, even nowadays. This bottleneck is novelty and efficiently treated here by the micropolar theory. Our findings support that when denser microstructure occurs turbulence is intensified by the chaotic rotation of internal fluid's elements. Unlike in Newtonian fluids, shear stress is now decreased, and viscous and microstructure interrotational stresses increase near the walls and mark the turbulence intensification.