Simulations of Elastic Particles in Viscous Fluid Flows
发布时间:2014-10-28浏览次数:38
Simulations of Elastic Particles in Viscous Fluid Flows,
and Magnetically Tuned Porous Electrode Formation in Electrochemical Flow Capacitor
Howard H. Hu
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics University of Pennsylvania
时间:10月21日(周二)下午3:30 ~ 5:00 地点:力学一楼239会议室
Abstract: In this presentation, I will discuss two different topics as the title has suggested. In the first topic, I will present a monolithic finite element solver for fluid-structure interactions to simulate dynamics of elastic objects in viscous fluids. The particles are assumed to be neutrally buoyant and composed of neo-Hookean material with constant shear modulus. I will also introduce a polarization technique to establish a theory described by a set of coupled nonlinear, first-order ODEs for the finite-strain, time-dependent response of an ellipsoidal elastic particle in shear and uniaxial extensional flows under Stokes flow conditions. In shear flow, we identified three types of particle motion: tank-treading (TT), trembling (TR) and tumbling (TU) as the functions of the particle elastic shear modulus, its initial shape, and the flow shear rate. In an extensional flow, an initially ellipsoidal (elliptical) elastic particle simultaneously stretches and rotates, tending to deform into a stable, ellipsoidal shape with the initial major axis aligned with the extension direction. However, steady-state solutions may not exist when the particle stiffness is lower than a certain critical value. Finally, I will describe a new application of our monolithic solver to simulate the free swimming of caenorhabditis-elegans in a viscous fluid.
In the second topic, I will describe an electrochemical flow capacitor (EFC), where high surface area, conducting, magnetizable porous particles suspended in an electrolyte solution flow from one storage tank to another through a charging/discharging device between collecting electrodes (collector). In the collector, the particles quickly aggregate to form percolated, electrically conducting networks that facilitate electron flow. To achieve a highly conductive and rapidly assembling network, a high concentration suspension is needed. To facilitate easy pumping, a low concentration suspension is desired. To speed up the network formation process and overcome these conflicting requirements, we use magnetizable colloids. The particles will acquire a magnetic moment in the presence of an external magnetic field. The magnetic moment will reversibly disappear as soon as the magnetic field is removed. The magnetic field will be applied during the charge and discharge phases to accelerate the formation of electrically connected networks when desired and will be removed when it is time to flow the slurry and refresh the contents in the collector. I will discuss our study of the network assembly process, and the estimate for the network connectivity and electric properties.
About the speaker: Prof. Hu received his Ph.D. degree in Aerospace Engineering, University of Minnesota, in 1992. He joined University of Pennsylvania as an assistant professor in 1992 and became a professor in 2009. His research focus is on modeling complex flows involving multiphase and polymeric fluids, particularly flows with solid particles, liquid drops, and gas bubbles. His group has been developing numerical techniques for simulating motions of large numbers of particles in those multiphase systems. They are engaged in understanding and controlling the particulate flows in various microfluidic applications through electrophoresis and dielectrophoresis. He has published more than 80 papers in journals and proceedings, including J. Fluid Mech., J. Comput. Phys., Phys. Rev. Lett., etc. He was elected as the Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineering (2009) and the Fellow of American Physical Society (2011).