Direct numerical simulations of elastic filament suspensions and multi-scale modeling of soft-particle suspensions

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0853673 YoungThis award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Suspensions of soft particles (such as viscous drops or elastic filaments) are ubiquitous in micro-, nano- and bio-fluidic applications. Quantification of their dynamical response to simple flows and external forcing (such as gravity or electric field) is the key to transformative advancement in micro- and nano-fluidic engineering and sciences. Despite extensive research, however, investigations to date fall short of the desirable predictability of the relations between dynamical macroscopic fluid properties and the microstructural dynamics. The PI plans a synergistic theoretical, numerical and experimental study to investigate the fundamental relations between macroscopic fluid properties and microstructural particle dynamics. Efficient numerical capabilities will be developed to directly simulate suspension of elastic fibers (both inextensible and finitely extensible). Focus will be placed on quantitative correlation between dynamics of interacting filaments and the macroscopic dynamics and properties of the suspension flow. A representative reduced model for an elastic filament will deduced, and will be utilized for developing a continuum model for semi-flexible filament flow. Direct comparison against numerical simulations and experiments will be conducted to validate the modeling approaches. These interdisciplinary research tasks will be integrated with educational efforts at the undergraduate and graduate levels through courses and recruitment of under-represented minority students.