Numerical study of a non-Newtonian fluid flow with a free surface using the VOF method.

In this work, a study of the process of filling a plane tank with a central body with a non-Newtonian fluid is carried out. The flow is described by momentum equations and continuity equations; the no-slip conditions are satisfied on solid walls. The rheological behavior of the medium is described by the Ostwald-de Waale model. The fluid is supplied through an upper channel at a given flow rate. The problem is solved numerically using the finite volume method and the SIMPLE algorithm. The location of the free surface is determined using the VOF/PLIC method. Parametric studies are carried out for Newtonian, dilatant, and pseudoplastic fluids in the following ranges of the governing parameters: 0≤Re≤20 and 0≤W≤20. Different tank filling regimes are revealed depending on the parameters of the problem. The kinematic characteristics of the flow are obtained at various regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]