shear stress

Shear stress in fluids

Any real fluids (liquids and gases included) moving along solid boundary will incur a shear stress on that boundary. The no-slip condition dictates that the speed of the fluid at the boundary (relative to the boundary) is zero, but at some height from the boundary the flow speed must equal that of the fluid. The region between these two points is aptly named the boundary layer.

For all Newtonian fluids in laminar flow, the shear stress is proportional to the strain rate in the fluid where the viscosity is the constant of proportionality. However for non-Newtonian fluids, this is no longer the case as for these fluids the viscosity is not constant. The shear stress is imparted onto the boundary as a result of this loss of velocity.

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