On the helical pipe flow with a pressure-dependent viscosity

Abstract

We address the flow of incompressible fluid with a pressure-dependent viscosity through a pipe with helical shape. The viscosity-pressure relation is defined by the Barus law. The thickness of the pipe and the helix step are assumed to be of the same order and considered as the small parameter. After transforming the starting problem, we compute the asymptotic solution using curvilinear coordinates and standard perturbation technique. The solution is provided in the explicit form clearly showing the influence of viscosity-pressure dependence and pipe's geometry on the effective flow.

Keywords

• pressure-dependent viscosity
• Barus law
• helical pipe flow
• curvilinear coordinates
• asymptotic approximation