MIXING OF A GENERALIZED NEWTONIAN FLUID IN A CAVITY

Mixing of a generalized Newtonian fluid in a corotating discontinuous cavity flow is studied. The flow period and the theological coefficien ts are used as parameters. Using geometrical construction of periodic orbits and bifurcation analysis we find mixing windows in the paramete r space. A system within a mixing window is capable of producing unifo rm mixtures. Some bifurcation values have also been determined. A syst em whose parameters are in the neighborhood of these values will mostl y not produce a uniform mixture. The main conclusion is that shear thi nning degrades mixing in the cavity flow.