Determining the viscous behavior of non-Newtonian fluids in a flume using a laminar sheet flow model and Ultrasonic Velocity Profiling (UVP) system

The flow of non-Newtonian fluids in rectangular open channels has received renewed interest over the past number of years especially as large flumes are being used to transport tailings in countries like Chile. The effect of yield stress on the flow behavior is complex and not yet fully understood. The Ultrasonic Velocity Profiling (UVP) technique has been used to construct velocity profiles of non-Newtonian fluids flowing in a 10 m by 300 mm wide tilting flume. The contour maps were integrated to show that the velocity profiles were indeed correct. The thin film flow models available in the l...