An experimental study of non-Newtonian fluid flow in rectangular flumes in laminar, transition and turbulent flow regimes

New and extensive results are reported on the flow of a range of non-Newtonian fluids, including aqueous suspensions of bentonite and kaolin, and aqueous solutions of synthetic polymer carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), flowing down inclined flumes of rectangular cross-section of three different sizes. In particular, these tests elucidate the role of shear-thinning viscosity, with and without the presence of a yield stress, on the flow behaviour in flumes over a wide range of conditions of Reynolds numbers spanning the range 1