LAUSR

In this paper, the stability of two co-axial immiscible fluids flowing in an annular duct is investigated. The inner layer consists of a shear-thinning fluid, which is surrounded by a Newtonian liquid annulus in the outer layer. A constant pressure gradient is applied to drive the flow in the annular channel. Linear stability analysis is employed to investigate the shear-thinning effect on the Rayleigh-Plateau instability and the interface wave instability. Results show that the Rayleigh-Plateau mode can be enhanced and the topological structures of the marginal stability curve of the Rayleigh-Plateau mode can be significantly changed by the shear-thinning effect. When the shear-thinning effect is strong, a case study shows that the Rayleigh-Plateau instability can be slightly suppressed by the viscosity stratification in the inner layer. The shear-thinning effect has a dual influence on the interface wave instability. It can either enhance or suppress the interface wave instability, depending on the thic...