UNSTEADY MODEL OF TRANSPORTATION OF JEFFREY-FLUID BY PERISTALSIS

Abstract

The investigation is to explore the transportation of a viscoelastic fluid by peristalsis in a channel as well as in a circular cylindrical tube by considering Jeffrey-model. In order to apply the model to the swallowing of food-bolus through the oesophagus, the wave equation assumed to propagate along the walls is such that the walls contract in the transverse/radial direction and relax but do not expand further. Solutions have been presented in the closed form by using small Reynolds number and long wavelength approximations. The expressions of pressure gradient, volume flow rate and average volume flow rate have been derived. It is revealed on the basis of computational investigation that for a fixed flow rate, pressure decreases when the ratio of relaxation time to retardation time is increased. In both the channel and tubular flows, the pressure decreases on increasing the ratio of relaxation time to retardation time if the averaged flow rate is less than the maximum flow rate. It is also revealed that the maximum tubular flow rate is higher than that of the channel-flow. It is further found through the theoretical analysis that mechanical efficiency, reflux and local wall shear stress remain unaffected by viscoelastic property of the fluid modelled as Jeffrey-fluid.