Reformulating constitutive relation in terms of gradient dynamics (being derivative of a dissipation potential) brings additional information on stability, metastability and instability of the dynamics with respect to perturbations of the constitutive relation, called CR-stability. CR-instability is connected to the loss of convexity of the dissipation potential, which makes the Legendre-conjugate dissipation potential multivalued and causes dissipative phase transitions, that are not induced by non-convexity of free energy, but by non-convexity of the dissipation potential. CR-stability of the constitutive relation with respect to perturbations is then manifested by constructing evolution equations for the perturbations in a thermodynamically sound way. As a result, interesting experimental observations of behavior of complex fluids under shear flow and supercritical boiling curve can be explained.

We propose a numerical scheme for simulation of transient flows of incompressible non-Newtonian fluids characterised by a non-monotone relation between the symmetric part of the velocity gradient (shear rate) and the Cauchy stress tensor (shear stress). The main difficulty in dealing with the governing equations for flows of such fluids is that the nonmonotone constitutive relation allows several values of the stress to be associated with the same value of the symmetric part of the velocity gradient. This issue is handled via a reformulation of the governing equations. The equations are reformulated as a system for the triple pressure-velocity-apparent viscosity, where the apparent viscosity is given by a scalar implicit equation. We prove that the proposed numerical scheme has-on the discrete level-a solution, and using the proposed scheme we numerically solve several flow problems.1 The norm of a tensorial quantity A is defined as the standard Frobenius norm, A = def (Tr (AA ⊺ ))) 1 2 .

Abstract:We compare two methods for modeling dissipative processes, namely gradient dynamics and entropy production maximization. Both methods require similar physical inputs-how energy (or entropy) is stored and how it is dissipated. Gradient dynamics describes irreversible evolution by means of dissipation potential and entropy, it automatically satisfies Onsager reciprocal relations as well as their nonlinear generalization (Maxwell-Onsager relations), and it has statistical interpretation. Entropy production maximization is based on knowledge of free energy (or another thermodynamic potential) and entropy production. It also leads to the linear Onsager reciprocal relations and it has proven successful in thermodynamics of complex materials. Both methods are thermodynamically sound as they ensure approach to equilibrium, and we compare them and discuss their advantages and shortcomings. In particular, conditions under which the two approaches coincide and are capable of providing the same constitutive relations are identified. Besides, a commonly used but not often mentioned step in the entropy production maximization is pinpointed and the condition of incompressibility is incorporated into gradient dynamics.

No abstract

No abstract