Assessment of pore diffusion in a micro-channel using an immersed boundary method
Paper in proceeding, 2017

In this paper, we formulate a computational framework for the assessment of pore diffusivity in a simple micro-channel. Diffusion under such conditions is of interest to both biological and physico-chemical applications that deal with the transport of particles in a rarefied fluid (where particle and molecular length scales are comparable), such as particulate matter removal in exhaust gas, diffusion of lipids through bio-membranes etc. The mobility of these particles may be influenced by neighboring particles and walls, as well as history effects in the surrounding flow. When a particle is not small in relation to the pore, these effects can no longer be accounted for via a point-particle method. Here, we treat the stochastic transport of particles in a bounded micro-channel within a continuum framework using a multiphase direct numerical simulation technique, the immersed boundary method. We show how this continuum method can be used to resolve the meandering path followed by a small particle subjected to Brownian motion, and present detailed investigations of the influence of the particle on the surrounding fluid flow field. Finally, we also discuss the advantages, challenges and implications of resolving a molecular phenomenon with a continuum technique.

Author

Ananda Subramani Kannan

Chalmers, Applied Mechanics, Fluid Dynamics

Andreas Mark

Fredrik Edelvik

Gaetano Sardina

Chalmers, Applied Mechanics, Fluid Dynamics

Srdjan Sasic

Chalmers, Applied Mechanics, Fluid Dynamics

Henrik Ström

Chalmers, Applied Mechanics, Fluid Dynamics

Conference Proceedings of the 14th Conference on Multiphase Flows in Industrial plants (MFIP17)

Areas of Advance

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (SO 2010-2017, EI 2018-)

Subject Categories

Nano Technology

Fluid Mechanics and Acoustics

More information

Created

10/8/2017