Small-disturbance stability of a non-isothermal tube flow of power law fluids. I. Derivation of the Orr-Sommerfeld equation extended (Q790670)

The paper deals with the steady tubular flow of a power law fluid with the constitutive equation \(t_{ij}=2K| 2e_{kL}e_{kL}|^{(n- 1)/n)}e_{ij}\) in which the fluid consistency parameter K is a prescribed function of the temperature. The one-dimensional axial flow in the fully developed state, beyond the thermal entrance region, is determined and is expressible in terms of the Bessel function \(J_ 0\) and integrals involving it, under the non slip boundary condition for the velocity and maintenance of constant temperature on the tubular wall. The unsteady velocity in the radial direction consequent to a small disturbance on the fully developed axial flow, satisfies the fourth order Orr-Sommerfeld differential equation. Numerical solutions of this equation and the determination of the flow stability region are to be taken up in a later paper.