Research Projects

Particle-laden shear flows are prevalent in both industrial and biological settings, such as the transport of slurries in offshore drilling, food processing, and the paper industry. In the oil and gas industry, the formation and transport of hydrates in pipelines can lead to plugging, a costly and safety concern that requires accurate predictions. In biological settings, shear flows of suspensions are relevant in blood flow through blood vessels. However, little is known about the transition from an orderly state of a shear flow of suspension to a disorderly one. The presence of particulate matter can alter fluid rheology, affecting density and viscosity. The dynamics of particles vary dramatically based on parameters such as particle size, concentration, density suspending fluid density, background flow, and suspension viscosity. The presence of particles can fundamentally alter the flow behavior of the suspension. Several studies have identified the destabilizing effects of particles on shear flows, but the mechanism behind the early transition to turbulence in several particle-laden shear flows still needs to be understood. This proposal aims to study the canonical problem of particle-laden shear flows using analytical modelling, linear stability theory, and direct numerical simulations.