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Fluid Dynamics Seminar

Monday, Feb. 14, 2011, 4:00 PM
Cullimore, Room 611
New Jersey Institute of Technology

Lattice Boltzmann Simulations of Particle Transport in Flexible Tubes via Peristalsis

Kevin Connington

The Levich Institute, The City College of New York

Abstract

"It is sometimes necessary to produce a flow through a duct without using internal moving parts such as rotors or pistons. This need may arise when the fluid is corrosive or toxic, or when the fluid carries solid particles for which a passage free of obstacles would be desirable." (Hanin, 1968) Peristaltic transport offers a suitable solution by eschewing the use of internal flow drivers. A peristaltic flow occurs when a tube or channel with flexible walls transports the contained material by progressing a series of contraction or expansion waves along the length of those walls. The deformation induces internal pressure gradients which act to drive the flow. Although significant progress has been made to provide the theory and analysis of standard peristaltic flows, relatively little research has been performed on the effects of particle transport due to the complexities involved. The Lattice Boltzmann Method provides a means to elucidate the behavior of finite-sized particles in peristaltic flows through numerical simulation. This talk investigates the transport and behavior of particles in a model peristaltic system by varying the relevant dimensionless parameters of the problem. It is found that particle transport is maximized for situations where the peculiar phenomenon of "trapping" is realized. Furthermore, it is found that in these situations, shear-sensitive particles are confined to regions free from hazardous shear stresses in the fluid. It is recommended to transport particles by peristalsis under conditions of "trapping" to maximize the transport and provide an innocuous environment for shear-sensitive particles.