Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 78 5 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For , differentiation in the symmetric tensor space gives . Therefore the Bingham fluid viscous dissipation potential givesThe deviatoric stress is trace free since is trace free; an arbitrary pressure reaction completes the Cauchy stress tensor.
At the yield term is not differentiable, and the correct relation is the subdifferential condition. A symmetric trace-free stress is admissible there ifThe Cauchy-Schwarz inequality shows that this is equivalent to ; necessity follows by choosing proportional to . Hence the no-strain-rate restriction isThe quadratic term has zero derivative at zero and does not change this restriction. This is the unyielded part of the Bingham plastic law.
For flow along the plates, write , and take as the pressure-drop magnitude. The only nonzero rate-of-strain tensor entries are , so and the yielded shear stress law isForce balance gives . The prescribed odd, continuous shear stress fixes its integration constant to zero, provingFor the inverse shear law is
The original PDF also calls odd. That assumption is inconsistent with a nonzero flow between identical fixed plates: the inverse shear law makes odd, whereas the derivative of an odd is even. Both can hold only if , and the no-slip wall values then give . Thus with the literal odd-velocity requirement, there is no admissible flowing solution when . The standard pressure-driven velocity is even; replacing that erroneous parity yields the intended profile below.
If , the whole gap is unyielded and the fixed no-slip walls force . Otherwise let . The plug flow of a yield-stress fluid occupies . In the upper yielded layer , and integration from givesIn the plug the velocity is the constant , and reflection gives the lower layer. The complete plane Poiseuille flow of a Bingham fluid answer isThe profile is continuous with continuous first derivative at the plug boundaries, vanishes at both walls and tends to the ordinary parabolic profile when . If signed pressure gradients of either direction are allowed, the threshold is , and reversing the gradient reverses the velocity.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 352 1 a Solution Created 2026-09-28 Updated 2026-10-03
A Bingham plastic is a yield-stress fluid, and hence a non-Newtonian fluid. It is also an instantaneous generalized-Newtonian model after yielding. It cannot describe memory-dependent viscoelasticity, including stress relaxation, elastic recoil, and time-dependent normal-stress effects.
For scalar shear stress and shear rate , its complete ideal constitutive law isEquivalently, in yielded material,
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 352 1 b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
In a parallel-plate rheometer, a point at radius on the upper plate moves at speed . The thin-gap approximation therefore gives the local shear rateDefine the rim valueAn annulus of radius and width has area ; its tangential force is , and its moment arm is . The measured torque is consequently
For a generalized Newtonian fluid, . Changing the integration variable from to givesThus the requested kernel isMultiplying by and taking a derivative with respect to turns the upper-limit contribution of the integral into the rim viscosity:ThereforeA measured torque curve and its slope hence determine over the range of imposed rim shear rates.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 352 1 a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Let measure distance through the thin Bingham plastic layer, with a stationary wall at and large-scale velocity at . To leading lubrication order the shear stress is uniform across the layer. If , the material is unyielded and the no-slip wall makes the entire layer stationary. After yield,Integrating across the depth gives the Bingham sliding lawEquivalently, for nonzero sliding,
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 iii Paper 352 3 a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Define the viscous numberThe pressure relation givesUsing , the shear stress at imposed pressure isThe material therefore behaves as a pressure-dependent Bingham plastic with yield stress , while its steady concentration dilates as shear rate increases.
After a step in shear rate, the particles must rearrange and undergo shear-induced dilation or compaction. Because the sample is saturated, that volume change requires pore fluid to migrate through the packing, so pore pressure and effective particle pressure relax over a finite poro-viscous time. Measuring the transient stress can therefore constrain the permeability, and with an independently known permeability can constrain the suspension's compressibility or dilatancy law.