Laminar-to-Turbulent Transition of Yield-Stress Fluids in Pipe and Channel Flows

TL;DR

This paper uses direct numerical simulations to investigate the laminar-to-turbulent transition in Herschel-Bulkley yield-stress fluids in pipe and channel flows, revealing detailed transition mechanisms and regime boundaries.

Contribution

First DNS study resolving the complete laminar to turbulent transition in Herschel-Bulkley fluids for both pipe and channel flows, providing new insights into yield stress effects on transition.

Findings

Transition occurs when local stresses exceed yield stress.

Regime boundaries align with experimental data for Carbopol.

Transition involves plug breakdown and turbulence localization.

Abstract

We present direct numerical simulations (DNS) of laminar to turbulent transition in Herschel-Bulkley (HB) yield-stress fluids flowing through pipes and rectangular channels. The simulations employ a Herschel-Bulkley formulation that captures the yield-stress-driven plug, its breakdown, and the emergence of near-wall turbulent structures, enabling direct resolution of the transition mechanisms. The DNS cover a broad range of generalized Reynolds numbers, Re_G = 378 to 5300, allowing us to resolve plug formation, transition onset, and fully turbulent regimes. In pipe flow, the simulations reproduce the characteristic transition sequence, which includes a strong plug and negligible turbulence at low Re_G, a sharp rise in turbulence intensity and u'rms within a narrow transitional window (Re_G ~ 2000 to 3000), and wall-dominated turbulence with a weakened core at higher Re_G. Transition occurs only when local Reynolds stresses exceed the yield stress. The resulting regime boundaries (Re_G < 1735 laminar, 1735 < Re_G < 2920 transitional, and Re_G > 2920 turbulent) align with trends reported for Carbopol fluids. This work provides the first DNS resolving the complete laminar to turbulent transition in HB fluids for both pipe and channel configurations, offering unified insight into plug breakdown, turbulence localization, and the role of yield stress in transition mechanisms. Experimental validation using a 3.6 m acrylic channel with particle image velocimetry (PIV) is planned to further assess the DNS predictions and quantify geometry-dependent transition thresholds.