The flow of viscoelastic wormlike micellar solutions (WLMs) in porous media is encountered in many practical applications like enhanced oil recovery or groundwater remediation. To understand the flow dynamics of these complex fluids in porous media, a model porous media consisting of a straight microchannel with micropore throats present in it, is very often used. In this study, we perform an extensive numerical investigation to understand the flow dynamics of wormlike micellar solutions based on the two-species Vasquez-Cook-McKinley (VCM) model for micelles through such model porous media. We find the existence of an elastic instability once the Weissenberg number exceeds a critical value; likewise, it was seen in many prior experimental and numerical studies dealing with polymer solutions. However, for the present case of a WLM solution, we observe that this elastic instability is greatly influenced by the breakage and reformation mechanisms of the wormlike micelles. In particular, we notice that the intensity of this instability (characterized by the fluctuating flow fields) increases as the Weissenberg number increases; however, beyond a critical value of it, this elastic instability and/or the flow field fluctuation is suppressed because of the breakage of long micelles. This is in contrast to the polymer solutions for which the flow field gradually transits to a more chaotic and turbulent-like state (or the so-called elastic turbulence state) as the Weissenberg number gradually increases. Additionally, we observe that the flow dynamics of these WLM solutions are strongly dependent on the type of micropore throat, the number of pore throats, and the spacing between two consecutive pore throats. An extensive discussion on the pressure drop and apparent viscosity is also presented in the present study.
Oscillations of a solid sphere falling through a wormlike micellar fluid
我们提出了一个实验研究的运动的固体球通过蠕虫状胶束流体下降。当较小或较轻的球体迅速达到终极速度时，较大或较重的球体会在其下落运动的方向上振荡。这种不稳定性的开始与速度梯度尺度$Γ_{c}\sim 1$ s $^{-1}$的临界值相关。我们将这种情况与已知的蠕虫状胶束流体的复杂流变学，并建议该球的不稳定运动是由流动诱导结构的形成和破裂引起的。
Elastic instabilities and bifurcations in flows of wormlike micellar solutions past single and two vertically aligned microcylinders: Effect of blockage and gap ratios
