Steady laminar flow of a power-law fluid in a curved pipe of circular cross-section with varying curvature (Q1063466)

The steady laminar flow of power-law fluid through pipes of circular cross-section, whose center-line curvature varies locally, is analyzed theoretically. The flows, in three kinds of pipes whose center-lines are specified by \(\hat y = a^*(1+(k^*\hat x)^2) ^{1/2}\), \(\hat y = a^* \tanh k^*\hat x\), \(\hat y = a^* \sin k^*\hat x\) as examples of once, twice, and periodically-curved pipes, respectively, are discussed in comparison with Newtonian flow. The analysis is valid for any other two-dimensionally curved pipes, when the center-line curvature is small.