Convective diffusion in structured fluids: need for new analysis and design strategies

Abstract

In many non-homogeneous flows of structured fluids, slip effects dominate the transport phenomena. Neglect of this has led to many apparently conflicting observations. Sometimes even incorrect physical models have been built to explain such observations. We show that a number of conflicting and anomalous observations on transport processes in structured fluids, which have been reported over the past two decades, can be rationalised if the inescapable presence of a slip effect is taken into account. The pragmatic implications of such phenomena have been elaborated and the need for new analysis and design strategies emphasized.