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Simulating deformable particle suspensions using a coupled lattice-Boltzmann and finite-element method

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2009

ROBERT M. MacMECCAN
Affiliation:
G. W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 500 10th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA
J. R. CLAUSEN
Affiliation:
G. W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 500 10th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA
G. P. NEITZEL
Affiliation:
G. W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 500 10th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA
C. K. AIDUN*
Affiliation:
G. W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 500 10th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA
*
†Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
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Abstract

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A novel method is developed to simulate suspensions of deformable particles by coupling the lattice-Boltzmann method (LBM) for the fluid phase to a linear finite-element analysis (FEA) describing particle deformation. The methodology addresses the need for an efficient method to simulate large numbers of three-dimensional and deformable particles at high volume fraction in order to capture suspension rheology, microstructure, and self-diffusion in a variety of applications. The robustness and accuracy of the LBM–FEA method is demonstrated by simulating an inflating thin-walled sphere, a deformable spherical capsule in shear flow, a settling sphere in a confined channel, two approaching spheres, spheres in shear flow, and red blood cell deformation in flow chambers. Additionally, simulations of suspensions of hundreds of biconcave red blood cells at 40% volume fraction produce continuum-scale physics and accurately predict suspension viscosity and the shear-thinning behaviour of blood. Simulations of fluid-filled spherical capsules which have red-blood-cell membrane properties also display deformation-induced shear-thinning behaviour at 40% volume fraction, although the suspension viscosity is significantly lower than blood.

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Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008