Non-Newtonian Fluid Flow through Fabrics

Abstract The flow of a fluid through textiles has been studied for a number of years. Understanding the flow phenomena along with the corresponding environmental changes (pressure drop, concentration gradient, etc.) becomes important in many fields, such as liquid transport through geomembranes, effluent movement through filtration devices, and chemical movement through protective apparel. This project is focussed on appreciating the difference between Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids and how they differ in their resistance to forced movement through a fabric. In order to accurately measure the predicted fluid flow parameters, a novel permeability tester is under development. The apparatus was inspired by the classical Joule-Thomson thermodynamic experiment. The tester has been designed to use a constant fluid volume and velocity while the pressure drop across a fabric is measured. The fluid velocity can then be varied over a range of values. A double piston design has been utilized to minimize turbulence in fluid movement.