Non-Newtonian fluid flow in a lid-driven cavity at low Reynolds numbers

In this paper, the question about the distribution of kinematic and dynamic properties of a non-Newtonian fluid flow in a lid-driven square cavity is considered. The power-law model is used as the rheological model. The numerical solution is received using the indirect boundary element method in the creeping flow approximation. The study is performed in the range of the power-law index from 0.2 to 1.2. The velocity component profiles at the mid-span of the cavity are obtained. For the case of the Newtonian fluid, a comparison with known results showed a good agreement. It is shown that the position of the main vortex shifts towards the upper moving lid as the power-law index decreases. The fields of effective viscosity and deformation rate intensity inside the flow domain are presented.