Cyrus K. Aidun

Effects of shear rate, confinement, and particle parameters on margination in blood flow.

The effects of flow and particle properties on margination of particles in red blood cell (RBC) suspensions is investigated using direct numerical simulation (DNS) of cellar blood flow. We focus on margination of particles in the flow of moderately dense suspensions of RBCs. We hypothesize that margination rate in nondilute suspensions is mainly driven by the RBC-enhanced diffusion of marginating particles in the RBC-filled region. We derive a scaling law for margination length in a straight channel. Margination length increases cubically with channel height and is independent of shear rate. We verify this scaling law for margination length by DNS of flowing RBCs and marginating particles. We also show that rigidity and size both lead to particle margination with rigidity having a more significant effect compared to size within the range of parameters in this study.

Numerical analysis of the angular motion of a neutrally buoyant spheroid in shear flow at small Reynolds numbers

We numerically analyze the rotation of a neutrally buoyant spheroid in a shear flow at small shear Reynolds number. Using direct numerical stability analysis of the coupled nonlinear particle-flow problem, we compute the linear stability of the log-rolling orbit at small shear Reynolds number Re(a). As Re(a)→0 and as the box size of the system tends to infinity, we find good agreement between the numerical results and earlier analytical predictions valid to linear order in Re(a) for the case of an unbounded shear. The numerical stability analysis indicates that there are substantial finite-size corrections to the analytical results obtained for the unbounded system. We also compare the analytical results to results of lattice Boltzmann simulations to analyze the stability of the tumbling orbit at shear Reynolds numbers of order unity. Theory for an unbounded system at infinitesimal shear Reynolds number predicts a bifurcation of the tumbling orbit at aspect ratio λ(c)≈0.137 below which tumbling is stable (as well as log rolling). The simulation results show a bifurcation line in the λ-Re(a) plane that reaches λ≈0.1275 at the smallest shear Reynolds number (Re(a)=1) at which we could simulate with the lattice Boltzmann code, in qualitative agreement with the analytical results.

SE Fluidics System

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) offers a basis for scalable, automated technology suitable for large-scale production of clonal plants. The SE method is attractive biologically due to the developmental path of the somatic embryo closely resembling zygotic embryo development thus avoiding issues related to adventitious rooting and plagiotropic growth. Furthermore, long term storage of SE cultures allow for field testing in species where zygotic seeds are the starting material for SE cultures, e.g. conifers. Application of SE methods for industrial scale plant production has been limited due to the cost of labor involved with different steps of the SE process.

Orientational dynamics of a tri-axial ellipsoid in simple shear flow: influence of inertia

The motion of a single ellipsoidal particle in simple shear flow can provide valuable insights toward understanding suspension flows with nonspherical particles. Previously, extensive studies have been performed on the ellipsoidal particle with rotational symmetry, a so-called spheroid. The nearly prolate ellipsoid (one major and two minor axes of almost equal size) is known to perform quasiperiodic or even chaotic orbits in the absence of inertia. With small particle inertia, the particle is also known to drift toward this irregular motion. However, it is not previously understood what effects from fluid inertia could be, which is of highest importance for particles close to neutral buoyancy. Here, we find that fluid inertia is acting strongly to suppress the chaotic motion and only very weak fluid inertia is sufficient to stabilize a rotation around the middle axis. The mechanism responsible for this transition is believed to be centrifugal forces acting on fluid, which is dragged along with the rotational motion of the particle. With moderate fluid inertia, it is found that nearly prolate triaxial particles behave similarly to the perfectly spheroidal particles. Finally, we also are able to provide predictions about the stable rotational states for the general triaxial ellipsoid in simple shear with weak inertia.