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Release of a viscous power-law fluid over an inviscid ocean

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 April 2012

Samuel S. Pegler ,
John R. Lister  and
M. Grae Worster
Samuel S. Pegler*
Affiliation:
Institute of Theoretical Geophysics, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, CMS, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK
John R. Lister
Affiliation:
Institute of Theoretical Geophysics, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, CMS, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK
M. Grae Worster
Affiliation:
Institute of Theoretical Geophysics, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, CMS, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK
*
†Email address for correspondence: ssp23@cam.ac.uk
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Abstract

We consider the two- and three-dimensional spreading of a finite volume of viscous power-law fluid released over a denser inviscid fluid and subject to gravitational and capillary forces. In the case of gravity-driven spreading, with a power-law fluid having strain rate proportional to stress to the power , there are similarity solutions with the extent of the current being proportional to in the two-dimensional case and in the three-dimensional case. Perturbations from these asymptotic states are shown to retain their initial shape but to decay relatively as in the two-dimensional case and in the three-dimensional case. The former is independent of , whereas the latter gives a slower rate of relative decay for fluids that are more shear-thinning. In cases where the layer is subject to a constraining surface tension, we determine the evolution of the layer towards a static state of uniform thickness in which the gravitational and capillary forces balance. The asymptotic form of this convergence is shown to depend strongly on , with rapid finite-time algebraic decay in shear-thickening cases, large-time exponential decay in the Newtonian case and slow large-time algebraic decay in shear-thinning cases.

JFM classification

Geophysical and Geological Flows: Gravity currents Non-Newtonian Flows: Non-Newtonian Flows Interfacial Flows (free surface): Thin films
Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 700 , 10 June 2012 , pp. 63 - 76
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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