Laminar Pipe Flow of Yield Plastic Fluids

The ?yield plastic? rheological model describes the flow behaviour of a variety of non-settling suspensions, including many types of mineral slurry. The current paper presents the laminar flow relationship (pressure gradient vs. flow rate) for a yield plastic fluid flowing through a pipe or cylinder. Simplified algebraic equations, suitable for engineering purposes, are presented for yield plastic fluids with values of the scaling factor in the range that includes most industrially important slurries. The laminar pipe flow relationship is one of the most important fluids engineering calculations. It may be used to determine the rheological parameters of a material in a capillary rheometer or flow loop. If the rheology is known, these relationships may be used to determine the laminar flow pressure gradient in pipelines of various sizes.