Dynamics of Flexible Fibers in Viscous Flows and Fluids

Abstract

The dynamics and deformations of immersed flexible fibers are at the heart of important industrial and biological processes, induce peculiar mechanical and transport properties in the fluids that contain them, and are the basis for novel methods of flow control. Here we focus on the low Reynolds number regime where advances in studying these fiber-fluid systems have been especially rapid. On the experimental side this is due to new methods of fiber synthesis, microfluidic flow control, and of microscope based tracking measurement techniques. Likewise, there have been continuous improvements in the specialized mathematical modeling and numerical methods needed to capture the interactions of slender flexible fibers with flows, boundaries, and each other. arXiv:1905.09058v1 [physics.flu-dyn]

Filament mechanics in a half-space via regularised Stokeslet segments

“…For instance, the consideration of soft deformable sensors has already motivated extensive studies of attached filaments (Guglielmini et al 2012;Roper et al 2006), as has the characterisation of attached filament forces for understanding the drag induced by slender appendages (Curtis et al 2012;Pozrikidis 2011;Simons et al 2014). Such appendages range from the primary cilium to carbon nanotube mats, with an extensive review of the field presented by du Roure et al (2019), which notes that both theoretical and numerical developments are very much still required in this field. Indeed, with advances in microscopy enabling ever more detailed quantification of kinematics, often with confining geometry such as a cover slip or substrate, the development of validated, and ideally simple, methodologies would be beneficial in estimating mechanics from kinematics.…”

Suspension of flexible cylinders in laminar liquid flow

“…Experimental and computational progress on flexible fibers in fluid flow has recently been reviewed by du Roure et al with an emphasis on microscopic systems. In one type of simulation approach fibers are represented by chains of connected spheres .…”

Oscillations of a cantilevered micro beam driven by a viscoelastic flow instability

“…In low Reynolds number flows, although flows are stable, complexity arises from non-linear interactions between deformable structures and viscous flow. Viscous fluid motion can modify the shape, orientation and position of a structure which in turn leads to coupling between the flow field and the structural response 8 . FSI studies of these flows are relevant to the biological and physiological world seen in the flow past flagella 9 , swimming of micro-organisms 10 , the deformation of red blood cells during transport in blood vessels 11 or the deformation of soft fluid-conveying vessels 12,13 .…”