Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/S70005/01
Title:	The Prediction and Validation of Contraction Flows of Complex Fluids
Principal Investigator:	Webster, Professor MF
Other Investigators:	Phillips, Professor TN
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Computer Science
Organisation:	Swansea University
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 October 2004	Ends:	17 January 2005	Value (£):	175,928
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Complex fluids & soft solids Rheology
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Manufacturing Chemicals Food and Drink Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology Energy
Related Grants:	GR/S70012/01
Panel History:	Panel Date Panel Name Outcome 11 Sep 2003 Engineering Prioritisation Panel (C) 11/09/03 Deferred
Summary on Grant Application Form
Over the last several years significant advances have been made in the modelling of viscoelastic fluids, using kinetic theory for polymer solutions and reptation theory for polymer melts. These developments in the coarse-grained molecular modelling of complex fluids mean that quantitative comparisons between model predictions and experimental observations can now be contemplated with greater confidence. In this project novel numerical methods will be developed for solving the equations generated from the new mathematical models. Two distinct numerical discretization techniques will be used, based on finite volume and spectral element methods, to ensure that the predictions are independent of the particular method being used. The emphasis in the numerical development will be on efficiency and accuracy. Quantitative comparisons will be made between experimental and numerical simulation studies for a range of well-characterized fluids in terms of vortex enhancement, pressure drop predictions and the formation and growth of stress boundary layers, for example. The influence of contraction ratio on the flow characteristics will be investigated as well as the differences between planar and axisymmetric configurations.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.swan.ac.uk