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质多孔介质在流动条件下压缩时的边界润滑效应。这种现象通常被称为超级润滑，因为摩擦损失是巨大的。该项目的灵感来自于红血球在覆盖血管内表面的内皮糖帽层(EGL)上的无摩擦运动。将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，该轴承将利用超级润滑，极大地增加流体动力升力和减少阻力。本文拟对快速压实条件下不同尺度的随机软多孔介质内的流体流动和提升力的产生进行系统的研究。这些多孔层的范围从宏观尺度的合成纤维到微米尺度的功能化超分子层(SML)。将研究提供响应快速压缩及其后续恢复的功能化SML的结构完整性的机制。将开发一种实验方法来研究平面在软多孔层上滑动时的升力产生和减摩。这些目标被整合到一个综合的研究计划中，该计划涉及理论、实验和计算方法。这项研究绕过了用活体进行实验的极端困难，并提供了一种模拟生物的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源效率和对EGL的生物物理理解产生广泛的影响。有计划让本科生参与研究，并利用维拉诺瓦大学现有的活动接触女童子军和代表不足的少数族裔学生。

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.