Critical shear stress for incipient motion of non-cohesive particles in open-channel flows of pseudoplastic fluids

Abstract

The results of a theoretical and experimental study on the conditions of incipient motion of non-cohesive solid particles in laminar flows of pseudoplastic fluids are presented in the article. It is concluded that, for practical purposes, using a modified particle Reynolds number that includes the consistency coefficient and the flow index, the motion threshold condition is well defined by the Shields diagram, with a slight modification to that presented by Mantz for low Reynolds numbers. The range of particle Reynolds numbers covered in the study was from 0.026-12.56.