The interplay of plasticity and elasticity in elastoviscoplastic flows in wavy channels

TL;DR

This paper explores how elasticity impacts the flow behavior of elastoviscoplastic fluids in wavy channels, revealing that elasticity can reduce pressure drops, alter flow regimes, and prevent stagnation, which is vital for industrial applications.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the role of elasticity in EVP flows within complex geometries, combining numerical simulations and microfluidic experiments to reveal flow modifications.

Findings

Elasticity reduces pressure drops in EVP flows.

Even minimal elasticity can induce flow regime transitions.

Enhanced elasticity prevents stagnation regions in EVP flows.

Abstract

Elastoviscoplastic (EVP) fluids, which exhibit both solid-like and liquid-like behavior depending on the applied stress, are critical in industrial processes involving complex geometries such as porous media and wavy channels. In this study, we investigate how flow characteristics and channel design affect EVP fluid flow through a wavy channel, using numerical simulations supported by microfluidic experiments. Our results reveal that elasticity significantly influences flow dynamics, reducing pressure drops and expanding unyielded regions. Notably, we find that even minimal elasticity can shift the flow from steady to time-dependent regimes, a transition less pronounced in viscoelastic fluids. Additionally, we show that the development of stagnation regions can be prevented when using a modified EVP fluid with enhanced elasticity, thus providing a full global yielding of the material. This study elucidates the role of elasticity in modifying flow patterns and stress distribution within EVP fluids, offering insights into the optimization of industrial applications, such as the displacement of yield stress fluids in enhanced oil recovery, gas extraction, cementing, and other processes where flow efficiency is critical.