FLOW FIELD OF NEWTONIAN FLUIDS IN CONE AND PLATE VISCOMETERS WITH SMALL GAP ANGLES

The flow of a Newtonian fluid in cone-plate viscometers is determined by solving the Navier-Stokes equations. It is shown in an order-of-magnitude analysis that the governing equations can be simplified and that the flow field can be split into two parts, if the angle between cone and plate is small. A closedform solution for the inner flow field is established through an iteration procedure. The zeroth-order solution in which the convective terms are neglected is inserted into the governing equations which then can be integrated again. The outer flow field is also described analytically. The solution satisfies the boundary condition of the vanishing radial velocity component at the free surface. The flow is described throughout the whole gap. Velocity components, pressure distributions, torque and normal force due to inertia are calculated. Pressure distributions and the maximum radial velocity are measured. The free surface boundary condition is experimentally examined. © 1979 Dr. Dietrich Steinkopff Verlag.