UNS: Lift Generation in a Functionalized Supra Molecular Porous Layer, From Red Cells to Super Lubrication

本文的研究重点是研究软多孔介质在流动条件下被压缩时边界处的润滑效应。这种现象通常被称为超润滑，因为摩擦损失是巨大的。这个项目的灵感来自于红细胞在覆盖血管内表面的内皮糖萼层（EGL）上的无摩擦运动。在详细实验的基础上进行理论分析，从而设计出一种新型轴承，这种轴承将利用超润滑，大大增加流体动力升力，减少阻力。本文拟对不同尺度随机软多孔介质在快速压实作用下的流体流动和升力产生进行系统研究。这些多孔层的范围从宏观合成纤维到微米级功能化超分子层（SML）。在快速压缩和随后的恢复过程中，提供功能化SML结构完整性的机制将被研究。一种实验方法将被开发，以检查升力的产生和摩擦减少，当一个平面滑动在一个柔软的多孔层。这些目标被整合在一个综合研究计划中，包括理论、实验和计算方法。提出的研究规避了用活生物体进行实验的极端困难，并提供了一种仿生方法来研究功能化软多孔层中的流体流动。它将对无摩擦流动的能量效率和对EGL的生物物理理解产生广泛的影响。他们计划让本科生参与研究，并利用维拉诺瓦大学现有的活动来接触女童子军和未被充分代表的少数民族学生。

The focus of the proposed research is on the investigation of lubrication effects at the boundary of a soft porous medium when it is compressed under flow. This phenomenon is often called super lubrication, because the friction loss is dramatic. The project is inspired by the frictionless motion of the red blood cells over the endothelial glycocalyx layer (EGL) that covers the inner surface of our blood vessels. Theoretical analysis, based on detailed experiments will be pursued that can lead to the design of a new type of bearing that would utilize super lubrication with vastly increased hydrodynamic lift and reduced drag. It is proposed to perform a systematic study to investigate fluid flow and lift generation inside random soft porous media of different scales under rapid compaction. These porous layers range from macro-scale synthetic fibers to micron-scale functionalized supramolecular layers (SML). The mechanisms that provide for the structural integrity of a functionalized SML in response to fast compression and its subsequent restoration will be examined. An experimental approach will be developed to examine the lift generation and friction reduction as a planar surface glides over a soft porous layer. These objectives are integrated in a combined research plan, which involves theoretical, experimental, and computational approaches. The proposed research circumvents the extreme difficulty in performing experiments with living organisms, and provides a bio-mimetic approach to study fluid flow in a functionalized soft porous layer. It will have broad impacts on both energy efficiency for frictionless flow and for biophysical understanding of the EGL. There are plans to engage undergraduate students in research, and to leverage existing activities at Villanova University to reach out to Girl Scouts and underrepresented minority students.