Investigation of Grease Flow in a Rectangular Channel Including Wall Slip Effects Using Microparticle Image Velocimetry

The grease flow in a rectangular channel is investigated using microparticle image velocimetry. Of certain interest is to study the behavior close to the boundary where wall slip effects are shown to be present. Three greases with different consistencies (NLGI00, NLGI1, and NLGI2) have been used, together with three wall materials (steel, brass, and polyamide) with different surface roughness. The pressure drop is also varied. It is shown that the velocity profile is strongly dependent on the consistency, having a dominating plug flow structure for a stiff grease. Furthermore, it is shown that wall slip effects occur in a thin shear layer close to the boundary where a very large velocity gradient is present. An analytical solution for the velocity across the channel is described using a Herschel-Bulkley rheology model. The model fits well with the measured velocity profile for all three above-mentioned greases.

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