Unsteady motion of a non-linear viscoelastic fluid

In this paper, we study the unsteady flow of a generalized second grade fluid. Specifically, we solve numerically the linear momentum equations for the flow of this viscoelastic shear-thinning (shear-thickening) fluid surrounding a solid cylindrical rod that is suddenly set into longitudinal and torsional motion. The equations are made dimensionless. The results are presented for the shear stresses at the wall, related to the drag force; these are physical quantities of interest, especially in oil-drilling applications.