Cette thèse est dédiée à l’étude des contacts lubrifiés tore-plan sous diverses conditions. Ces contacts se situent à l’interface entre l’extrémité torique des rouleaux et le collet de la bague dans les roulements à rouleaux. La première complexité de cette étude provient de la géométrie particulière des solides concernés. La deuxième est générée par la cinématique complexe qui règne dans ces contacts. Afin de comprendre les mécanismes physiques à l’œuvre, une approche duale (expérimentale et numérique) est adoptée. Le banc d’essai Jérotrib permet une première étude basée sur l’hypothèse que le contact élastohydrodynamique tore-plan est similaire à un contact elliptique équivalent. Grâce à une méthode d’interférométrie optique en lumière blanche qui a été adaptée aux spécificités du contact en question, des mesures précises de l’épaisseur de film ont été effectuées dans un nombre significatif de conditions. Sur cette base, un modèle numérique thermo-élastohydrodynamique a été validé avec précision. Ce dernier a permis d’étudier les écoulements de fluide à l’entrée du contact afin de mettre en évidence leur influence sur le champ d’épaisseur de film. Le modèle numérique a ensuite été amélioré afin de prendre en compte la vraie forme des solides. Il a été validé en épaisseur de film par le banc d’essai Tribogyr, dans des conditions similaires à celles rencontrées dans les vrais roulements. Il a été montré que le cisaillement du fluide est responsable de l’échauffement des solides, qui diminue par suite l’épaisseur de film : ceci souligne la nécessité de modéliser cet échauffement global pour prédire la séparation des surfaces. Par ailleurs, lors de l’étude, le champ de pression et d’épaisseur de film ont perdu leurs symétries à cause de la cinématique et de la forme des solides. Toutefois, le comportement du contact est resté similaire à celui d’un contact elliptique, en dehors de certains cas limites. / This thesis is dedicated to the study of torus on plane contacts under various operating conditions. They can be found at the interface between the torus roller-end and the flange in roller bearings. The first challenge of this thesis is to deal with unusual mating geometries. The other challenge is the presence of a complex kinematic which operates in these contacts. In order to further develop the understanding of such a contact, a dual approach (experimental and numerical) is adopted. The Jérotrib test-rig enables a first study, by considering that the élastohydrodynamic torus on plane contact can be modelled by an elliptical equivalent contact. Thanks to a differential colorimetric interferometry method which was improved and adapted during the thesis, precise film thickness measurements are carried out under a rather wide range of operating conditions. A thermo-elastohydrodynamic numerical model is developed and validated by comparing its results to the ones of the test-rig. A numerical study on film forming is then proposed and the role of the contact ellipticity is investigated. The numerical model is improved in order to take into account the actual shape of the solids. A film thickness validation of the model is proposed, thanks to measurements performed on the Tribogyr test-rig. The operating conditions are very similar to the one encountered in actual bearings, and the mating solids have representative geometries: it is an actual torus-on-plane contact. It is demonstrated that the lubricant shearing is responsible for the solids temperature rise, which in its turn, reduces the film thickness. It appears mandatory to be able to predict this global warming of the bodies. It is also demonstrated that the pressure and film thickness distributions lose their symmetry because of the spinning kinematic and the solids shape. However, the behaviour of the torus-on-plane contact appears very similar to the one of an elliptical equivalent contact, apart from some limit cases.

Lattice Boltzmann Method has been quite successful for incompressible flows. Its extension for compressible (especially supersonic and hypersonic) flows has attracted lot of attention in recent time. There have been some successful attempts but nearly all of them have either resulted in complex or expensive equilibrium function distributions or in extra energy levels. Thus, an efficient Lattice Boltzmann Method for compressible fluid flows is still a research idea worth pursuing for. In this thesis, a new Lattice Boltzmann Method has been developed for compressible flows, by using the concept of a relaxation system, which is traditionally used as semilinear alternative for non-linear hypebolic systems in CFD. In the relaxation system originally introduced by Jin and Xin (1995), the non-linear flux in a hyperbolic conservation law is replaced by a new variable, together with a relaxation equation for this new variable augmented by a relaxation term in which it relaxes to the original nonlinear flux, in the limit of a vanishing relaxation parameter. The advantage is that instead of one non-linear hyperbolic equation, two linear hyperbolic equations need to be solved, together with a non-linear relaxation term. Based on the interpretation of Natalini (1998) of a relaxation system as a discrete velocity Boltzmann equation, with a new isotropic relaxation system as the basic building block, a Lattice Boltzmann Method is introduced for solving the equations of inviscid compressible flows. Since the associated equilibrium distribution functions of the relaxation system are not based on a low Mach number expansion, this method is not restricted to the incompressible limit. Free slip boundary condition is introduced with this new relaxation system based Lattice Boltzmann method framework. The same scheme is then extended for curved boundaries using the ghost cell method. This new Lattice Boltzmann Relaxation Scheme is successfully tested on various bench-mark test cases for solving the equations of compressible flows such as shock tube problem in 1-D and in 2-D the test cases involving supersonic flow over a forward-facing step, supersonic oblique shock reflection from a flat plate, supersonic and hypersonic flows past half-cylinder.

In this thesis we study a variety of problems in fluid turbulence, principally in two dimensions. A summary of the main results of our studies is given below; we indicate the Chapters in which we present these. In Chapter 1, we provide an overview of several problems in turbulence with special emphasis on background material for the problems we study in this thesis. In particular, we give (a) natural and laboratory examples of fluid turbulence, (b) and introductory accounts of the equations of hydrodynamics, without and with polymer additives, Eulerian and Lagrangian frameworks, and the equations of motion of inertial particles in fluid flows. We end with a summary of the problems we study in subsequent Chapters of this thesis. In Chapter 2, we carry out the most extensive and high-resolution direct numerical simulation, attempted so far, of homogeneous, isotropic turbulence in two-dimensional fluid films with air-drag-induced friction and with polymer additives. Our study reveals that the polymers (a) reduce the total fluid energy, enstrophy, and palinstrophy, (b) modify the fluid energy spectrum both in inverse- and forward-cascade regimes, (c) reduce small-scale intermittency, (d) suppress regions of large vorticity and strain rate, and (e) stretch in strain-dominated regions. We compare our results with earlier experimental studies and propose new experiments. In Chapter 3, we perform a direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the forced, incompressible two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equation coupled with the FENE-P equations for the polymer- conformation tensor. The forcing is such that, without polymers and at low Reynolds numbers Re, the lm attains a steady state that is a square lattice of vortices and anti-vortices. We nd that, as we increase the Weissenberg number (Wi), this lattice undergoes a series of nonequilibrium phase transitions, first to spatially distorted, but temporally steady, crystals and then to a sequence of crystals that oscillate in time, periodically, at low Wi, and quasiperiodically, for slightly larger Wi. Finally, the system becomes disordered and displays spatiotepmoral chaos and elastic turbulence. We then obtain the nonequilibrium phase diagram for this system, in the Wi − Re plane, and show that (a) the boundary between the crystalline and turbulent phases has a complicated, fractal-type character and (b) the Okubo-Weiss parameter provides us with a natural measure for characterizing the phases and transitions in this diagram. In Chapter 4, our study is devoted to heavy, inertial particles in two-dimensional (2D) tur- bulent, but statistically steady, flows that are homogeneous and isotropic. The inertial particles are distributed uniformly in our simulation domain when St = 0; they start to cluster as St increases; this clustering tendency reaches a maximum at St 1 and decreases thereafter. We then obtain PDFs of and show that their left tails, which come from extensional regions, do not depend sensitively on St; in contrast, their right tails, from the vortical regions of the flow, are consistent with the exponential form ∼ exp ‰− + Ž; and we nd that the scale + decreases with St until St _0:1 and then saturates at a value _0:75. Our persistence-type studies yield the following results, when we consider forcing that leads to an energy spectrum that is dominated by a forward-cascade regime: In strain-dominated or extensional regions of the flow, wend that the cumulative PDF of the persistence time decays exponentially; this decay yields a time scale T−, which increases rapidly with St, at low values of St, but more slowly after St _0:75. By contrast, in vortical regions of the flow, this cumulative PDF displays a tail that has power-law and exponential parts; the power-law part yields the persistence exponent _ and the exponential tail gives a time scale T−; _ increases with St, whereas T− decreases with St; _ and T− reach saturation values as St increases. From the cumulative PDF of the particle mean-square displacement r2, we obtain the time scale Ttrans at which there is a crossover from ballistic to diffusive behavior; we _nd that Ttrans increases with St. The PDFs of v2, the square of the particle velocity, and v2 ejected, the square of the velocity of a particle just as it is ejected from a region with _ > 0 (vortical region) to one that has _ < 0 (extensional region), do not show a significant dependence on St; the tails of these PDFs are characterized by power-law decays with exponents _1 and _5~3, respectively. Our next set of results deal with statistical properties of special combinations of the acceleration a =dv~dt and the velocity v. For instance, the curvature of the trajectory is _ =aÙ~v2, where the subscript Ù denotes the component perpendicular to the particle trajectory; we obtain PDFs of _ and _nd there from that particles in regions of elongational flow have, on average, trajectories with a lower curvature than particles in vortical regions; this . We also determine how the number of number of points NI , at which a ×v changes sign along a particle trajectory, as time increases; we _nd that the increase of NI with time and decrease as St increases. Our ninth set of results show that the characteristic decay time T_ for decreases with St. In Chapter 5, we study the statistical properties of orientation and rotation dynamics of elliptical tracer particles in two-dimensional, homogeneous and isotropic turbulence by direct numerical simulations. We consider both the cases in which the turbulent flow is generated by forcing at large and intermediate length scales. We show that the two cases are qualitatively different. For the large-scale forcing, the spatial distribution of particle orientations forms large- scale structures, which are absent for the intermediate-scale forcing. The alignment with the local directions of the flow is much weaker in the latter case than in the former. For the intermediate- scale forcing, the statistics of rotation rates depends weakly on the Reynolds number and on the aspect ratio of particles. In contrast with what is observed in three-dimensional turbulence, in two dimensions the mean-square rotation rate decreases as the aspect ratio increases. In Chapter 6, we study the issue of intermittency in numerical solutions of the 3D Navier-Stokes equations on a periodic box [0; L]3. This is addressed through four sets of numerical simulations that calculate a new set of variables defined by Dm(t) = where All four simulations unexpectedly show that the Dm are ordered for m =1 ….,9 such that Dm+1 <Dm. Moreover, the Dm squeeze together such that Dm+1/Dm 1 as m increases. The values of D1 lie far above the values of the rest of the Dm, giving rise to a suggestion that a depletion of nonlinearity is occuring which could be the cause of Navier{Stokes regularity. The first simulation, by R. Kerr, is of very anisotropic decaying turbulence ; the second and third, which have been carried out by me, are of decaying isotropic turbulence from random initial conditions and forced isotropic turbulence at fixed Grashof number, respectively ; the fourth, by D. Donzis, is of very-high-Reynolds-number forced, stationary, isotropic turbulence at resolutions up to 40963 collocation points. For the sake of completeness and for a comparison of the data from all these four simulations, all the results are presented; however, in the Sections that deal with the simulations, I indicate who carried out the calculations reported there. I also present an extension of this work to two-dimensional fluid turbulence; this has not been submitted for publication so far. We hope our in silico studies of 2D and 3D turbulence will stimulate new experimental, numerical, and theoretical studies.

Dans cette thèse, nous nous intéressons à la modélisation et l'analyse mathématique de certains problèmes liés aux écoulements en suspension.Le premier chapitre concerne la justification du modèle de type transport-Stokes pour la sédimentation de particules sphériques dans un fluide de Stokes où l'inertie des particules est négligée et leur rotation est prise en compte. Ce travail est une extension des résultats antérieurs pour un ensemble plus général de configurations de particules.Le deuxième chapitre concerne la sédimentation d'une distribution d'amas de paires de particules dans un fluide de Stokes. Le modèle dérivé est une équation de transport-Stokes décrivant l'évolution de la position et l'orientation des amas. Nous nous intéressons par la suite au cas où l'orientation des amas est initialement corrélée aux positions. Un résultat d'existence locale et d'unicité pour le modèle dérivé est présenté.Dans le troisième chapitre, nous nous intéressons à la dérivation d'un modèle de type fluide-cinétique pour l'évolution d'un aérosol dans les voies respiratoires. Ce modèle prend en compte la variation du rayon des particules et leur température due à l'échange d'humidité entre l'aérosol et l'air ambiant. Les équations décrivant le mouvement de l'aérosol est une équation de type Vlasov-Navier Stokes couplée avec des équations d'advection diffusion pour l'évolution de la température et la vapeur d'eau dans l'air ambiant.Le dernier chapitre traite de l'analyse mathématique de l'équation de transport-Stokes dérivée au premier chapitre. Nous présentons un résultat d'existence et d'unicité globale pour des densités initiales de type $L^1 cap L^infty$ ayant un moment d'ordre un fini. Nous nous intéressons ensuite à des densités initiales de type fonction caractéristique d'une gouttelette et montrons un résultat d'existence locale et d'unicité d'une paramétrisation régulière de la surface de la gouttelette. Enfin nous présentons des simulations numériques montrant l'aspect instable de la gouttelette. / This thesis is devoted to the modelling and mathematical analysis of some aspects of suspension flows.The first chapter concerns the justification of the transport-Stokes equation describing the sedimentation of spherical rigid particles in a Stokes flow where particles rotation is taken into account and inertia is neglected. This work is an extension of former results for a more general set of particles configurations.The second chapter is dedicated to the sedimentation of clusters of particle pairs in a Stokes flow. The derived model is a transport-Stokes equation describing the time evolution of the position and orientation of the cluster. We also investigate the case where the orientation of the cluster is initially correlated to its position. A local existence and uniqueness result for the limit model is provided.In the third chapter, we propose a coupled fluid-kinetic model taking into accountthe radius growth of aerosol particles due to humidity in the respiratorysystem. We aim to numerically investigate the impact of hygroscopic effects onthe particle behaviour. The air flow is described by the incompressibleNavier-Stokes equations, and the aerosol by a Vlasov-type equation involving the air humidity and temperature, both quantities satisfying a convection-diffusion equation with a source term.The last chapter is dedicated to the analysis of the transport-Stokes equation derived in the first chapter. First we present a global existence and uniqueness result for $L^1cap L^infty$ initial densities with finite first moment. Secondly, we consider the case where the initial data is the characteristic function of a droplet. We present a local existence and uniqueness result for a regular parametrization of the droplet surface. Finally, we provide some numerical computations that show the regularity breakup of the droplet.

In present finite element study, the dynamics of incompressible isothermal flows of Newtonian and two generalised non-Newtonian models through complex mixing-separating planar channel and circular pipe filled with and without porous media, including Darcy's term in momentum equation, is presented. Whilst, in literature this problem is solved only for planar channel flows of Newtonian and viscoelastic fluids. The primary aim of this study is to examine the laminar flow behaviour of Newtonian and inelastic non-Newtonian fluids, and investigate the robustness of the numerical algorithm. The rheological properties of non-Newtonian fluids are defined utilising a range of constitutive equations, for inelastic non-Newtonian fluids non-linear viscous models, such as Power Law and Bird-Carreau models are used to capture the shear thinning behaviour of fluids. To simulate such complex flows, steady-state solutions are sought employing time-dependent finite element algorithm. Temporal derivatives are discretised using second order Taylor series expansion, while, spatial discretisation is achieved through Galerkin approximation in combination to deal with incompressibility a pressure-correction scheme adopted. In order to achieve the algorithm of semi-implicit form Darcy's-Brinkman equation is utilized for the conversion in Darcy's terms and diffusion, while Crank-Nicolson approach is adopted for stability and acceleration. Simple and complex flows for various complex flow bifurcations of the combined mixing-separating geometries, for both two-dimensional planar channel in Cartesian coordinates, as well as axisymmetric circular tube in cylindrical polar coordinates system are investigated. These geometries consist of a two-inverted channel and pipe flows connected through a gap in common partitions, initially filled with non-porous materials and later with homogeneous porous materials. Computational domain is having variety it has been investigated with many configurations. These computational domains have been appeared in industrial applications of combined mixing and separating of fluid flows both for porous and non-porous materials. Fully developed velocity profile is applied on both inlets of the domain by imposing analytical solutions found during current study for porous materials. Numerical study has been conducted by varying flow rates and flow direction due to a variety in the domain. The influence of varying flow rates and flow directions are analysed on flow structure. Also the impact of increasing inertia, permeability and power law index on flow behaviour and pressure difference are investigated. From predicted solution of present numerical study, for Newtonian fluids a close agreement is realised between numerical solutions and experimental data. During simulations, it has been noticed that enhancing fluid inertia (flow rates), and permeability has visible effects on the flow domains. When the Reynolds number value increases the size and power of the vortex for recirculation increases. Under varying flow rates an early activity of vortex development was observed. During change in flow directions reversed flow showed more inertial effects as compared with unidirectional flows. Less significant influence of inertia has been observed in domains filled with porous media as compared with non-porous. The power law model has more effects on inertia and pressure as compared with Bird Carreau model. Change in the value of permeability gave significant impact on pressure difference. Numerical simulations for the domain and fluids flow investigated in this study are encountered in the real life of mixing and separating applications in the industry. Especially this purely quantitative numerical investigation of flows through porous medium will open more avenues for future researchers and scientists.

Nesse trabalho, foi desenvolvido um simulador numérico (C/C++) para a resolução de escoamentos de fluidos newtonianos incompressíveis, baseado no método de partículas Lagrangiano, livre de malhas, Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH). Tradicionalmente, duas estratégias são utilizadas na determinação do campo de pressões de forma a garantir-se a condição de incompressibilidade do fluido. A primeira delas é a formulação chamada Weak Compressible Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (WCSPH), onde uma equação de estado para um fluido quase-incompressível é utilizada na determinação do campo de pressões. A segunda, emprega o Método da Projeção e o campo de pressões é obtido mediante a resolução de uma equação de Poisson. No estudo aqui desenvolvido, propõe-se três métodos iterativos, baseados noMétodo da Projeção, para o cálculo do campo de pressões, Incompressible Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (ISPH). A fim de validar os métodos iterativos e o código computacional, foram simulados dois problemas unidimensionais: os escoamentos de Couette entre duas placas planas paralelas infinitas e de Poiseuille em um duto infinito e foram usadas condições de contorno do tipo periódicas e partículas fantasmas. Um problema bidimensional, o escoamento no interior de uma cavidade com a parede superior posta em movimento, também foi considerado. Na resolução deste problema foi utilizado o reposicionamento periódico de partículas e partículas fantasmas. / In this work, we have developed a numerical simulator (C/C++) to solve incompressible Newtonian fluid flows, based on the meshfree Lagrangian Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) Method. Traditionally, two methods have been used to determine the pressure field to ensure the incompressibility of the fluid flow. The first is calledWeak Compressible Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (WCSPH) Method, in which an equation of state for a quasi-incompressible fluid is used to determine the pressure field. The second employs the Projection Method and the pressure field is obtained by solving a Poissons equation. In the study developed here, we have proposed three iterative methods based on the Projection Method to calculate the pressure field, Incompressible Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (ISPH) Method. In order to validate the iterative methods and the computational code we have simulated two one-dimensional problems: the Couette flow between two infinite parallel flat plates and the Poiseuille flow in a infinite duct, and periodic boundary conditions and ghost particles have been used. A two-dimensional problem, the lid-driven cavity flow, has also been considered. In solving this problem we have used a periodic repositioning technique and ghost particles.

Nesse trabalho, foi desenvolvido um simulador numérico (C/C++) para a resolução de escoamentos de fluidos newtonianos incompressíveis, baseado no método de partículas Lagrangiano, livre de malhas, Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH). Tradicionalmente, duas estratégias são utilizadas na determinação do campo de pressões de forma a garantir-se a condição de incompressibilidade do fluido. A primeira delas é a formulação chamada Weak Compressible Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (WCSPH), onde uma equação de estado para um fluido quase-incompressível é utilizada na determinação do campo de pressões. A segunda, emprega o Método da Projeção e o campo de pressões é obtido mediante a resolução de uma equação de Poisson. No estudo aqui desenvolvido, propõe-se três métodos iterativos, baseados noMétodo da Projeção, para o cálculo do campo de pressões, Incompressible Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (ISPH). A fim de validar os métodos iterativos e o código computacional, foram simulados dois problemas unidimensionais: os escoamentos de Couette entre duas placas planas paralelas infinitas e de Poiseuille em um duto infinito e foram usadas condições de contorno do tipo periódicas e partículas fantasmas. Um problema bidimensional, o escoamento no interior de uma cavidade com a parede superior posta em movimento, também foi considerado. Na resolução deste problema foi utilizado o reposicionamento periódico de partículas e partículas fantasmas. / In this work, we have developed a numerical simulator (C/C++) to solve incompressible Newtonian fluid flows, based on the meshfree Lagrangian Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) Method. Traditionally, two methods have been used to determine the pressure field to ensure the incompressibility of the fluid flow. The first is calledWeak Compressible Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (WCSPH) Method, in which an equation of state for a quasi-incompressible fluid is used to determine the pressure field. The second employs the Projection Method and the pressure field is obtained by solving a Poissons equation. In the study developed here, we have proposed three iterative methods based on the Projection Method to calculate the pressure field, Incompressible Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (ISPH) Method. In order to validate the iterative methods and the computational code we have simulated two one-dimensional problems: the Couette flow between two infinite parallel flat plates and the Poiseuille flow in a infinite duct, and periodic boundary conditions and ghost particles have been used. A two-dimensional problem, the lid-driven cavity flow, has also been considered. In solving this problem we have used a periodic repositioning technique and ghost particles.

<p>Particle suspensions in viscoelastic fluids (e.g., polymeric fluids, liquid crystalline solutions, gels) are ubiquitous in industrial processes and in biology. In such fluids, particles often acquire lift forces that push them to preferential streamlines in the flow domain. This lift force depends greatly on the fluid’s rheology, and plays a vital role in many applications such as particle separations in microfluidic devices, particle rinsing on silicon wafers, and particle resuspension in enhanced oil recovery. Previous studies have provided understanding on how fluid rheology affects the motion of spherical particles in simple viscoelastic fluid flows such as shear flows. However, the combined effect of more complex flow profiles and particle shape is still under-explored. The main contribution of this thesis is to: (a) provide understanding on the migration and rotation dynamics of an arbitrary-shaped particle in complex flows of a viscoelastic fluid, and (b) develop guidelines for designing such suspensions for general applications.</p> <p><br></p> <p>In the first part of the thesis, we develop theories based on the second-order fluid (SOF) constitutive model to provide solutions for the polymeric force and torque on an arbitrary-shaped solid particle under a general quadratic flow field. When the first and second normal stress coefficients satisfy  <strong>Ψ</strong>₁  = −2 <strong>Ψ</strong> ₂ (corotational limit), the fluid viscoelasticity modifies only the fluid pressure and we provide exact solutions to the polymer force and torque on the particle. For a general SOF with  <strong>Ψ</strong> ₁ ≠  −2 <strong>Ψ</strong> ₂, fluid viscoelasticity modifies the shear stresses, and we provide a procedure for numerical solutions. General scaling laws are also identified to quantify the polymeric lift based on different particle shapes and orientation. We find that the particle migration speed is directly proportional to the length the particle spans in the shear gradient direction (L_sg), and that polymeric torques lead to unique orientation behavior under flow.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Secondly, we investigate the migration and rotational behavior of prolate and oblate spheroids in various viscoelastic, pressure-driven flows. In a 2-D slit flow, fluid viscoelasticity causes prolate particles to transition to a log-rolling motion where the particles orient perpendicular to the flow-flow gradient plane. This behavior leads to a slower overall migration speed (i.e., lift) of prolate particles towards the flow centerline compared to spherical particles of the same volume. In a circular tube flow, prolate particles align their long axis along the flow direction due to the extra polymer torque generated by the velocity curvature in all radial directions. Again, this effect causes prolate particles to migrate slower to the flow centerline than spheres of the same volume. For oblate particles, we quantify their long-time orientation and find that they migrate slower than spheres of the same volume, but exhibit larger migration speeds than prolate particles. Lastly, we examine the effect of normal stress ratio ? <strong>α</strong>  = <strong>Ψ</strong> ₂ /<strong>Ψ</strong>₁on the particle motion and find that this parameter only quantitatively impacts the particle migration velocity but has negligible effect on the rotational dynamics. We therefore can utilize the exact solution derived under the corotational limit (?<strong>α</strong> = −1/2) for a quick and reasonable prediction on the particle dynamics.</p> <p><br></p> <p>We next experimentally investigate the migration behavior of spheroidal particles in microfluidic systems and draw comparisons to our theoretical predictions. A dilute suspension of prolate/oblate microparticles in a density-matched 8% aqueous polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solution is used as the model suspension system. Using brightfield microscopy, we qualitatively confirm our theoretical predictions for flow Deborah numbers 0 < De < 0.1 – i.e., that spherical particles show faster migration speed than prolate and oblate particles of the same volume in tube flows.</p> <p><br></p> <p>We finally design a holographic imaging method to capture the 3-D position and orientation of dynamic microparticles in microfluidic flow. We adopt in-line holography setup and propose a straightforward hologram reconstruction method to extract the 3-D position and orientation of a non-spherical particle. The method utilizes image moment to locate the particle and localize the detection region. We detect the particle position in the depth direction by quantifying the image sharpness at different depth position, and uses principal component analysis (PCA) to detect the orientation of the particle. For a semi-transparent particle that produces complex diffraction patterns, a mask based on the image moment information can be utilized during the image sharpness process to better resolve the particle position.</p> <p><br></p> <p>In the last part of this thesis, we conclude our work and discuss the future research perspectives. We also comment on the possible application of current work to various fields of research and industrial processes.</p> <p><br></p>

<p>Free surface flows, characterized by a deformable interface between two immiscible fluids or between a liquid and a gas, play a pivotal role in numerous natural phenomena and industrial processes. The fluid-fluid interface dynamics, governed by the complex interplay of forces such as inertia, capillary force, viscous force, and possibly elastic force, significantly influence the behavior of the fluids involved. Examples of free surface flows can be observed in everyday situations, such as droplet formation from a faucet, propagation and breaking of ocean waves, and tear films that coat the eye. An in-depth understanding of free surface flows and fluid-fluid interface dynamics has extensive implications for optimizing applications like inkjet printing, coating, spraying, and droplet formation while providing insights into the intricate behavior of natural fluid systems. Most of these applications, except for coating, involve abrupt and catastrophic topological changes of interfaces present in processes such as drop breakup, sheet rupture, and drop impact, where small droplets form from liquid sheets or filaments.</p> <p>This thesis examines the dynamics of contracting liquid filaments through computational means. Previous computational simulations have assumed that initially the fluid within the filament is quiescent which, however, may not typically be the case in practical applications. Here, the effect of a realistic, non-zero initial velocity profile is considered with the hypothesis that the fact that the fluid is already in motion when it starts to contract may result in significant alterations in the filament’s final fate vis-a-vis whether it breaks up into multiple small droplets or contracts into a sphere as its ends retract toward each other. The transient system of governing equations, the three-dimensional but axisymmetric (3DA) Navier-Stokes and continuity equations subjected to interfacial boundary conditions, are solved using rigorous and robust numerical algorithms in both fully 3DA and one-dimensional (1D) settings using the Galerkin finite element (GFEM) method. The simulation results are then used to construct comprehensive phase diagrams to delineate regions where filaments break up into smaller droplets from those where filaments contract to spheres without breakup.</p> <p>Polymer additives are often present in practical applications involving filament contraction and breakup. The presence of polymer molecules in an otherwise Newtonian solvent gives rise to non-Newtonian rheology. In this thesis, the dynamics of filaments containing polymer additives are analyzed using a 1D algorithm that is developed specifically for simulating viscoelastic free surface flows where the fluid’s rheology is described by the oft-used Oldroyd-B model. In real-world applications, filaments produced from nozzles are expected to be prestressed at the instant when they are created and begin to contract. It is demonstrated that the retraction velocity of tips of highly viscous, prestressed filaments is significantly increased compared to filaments in which the polymer molecules are initially relaxed and Newtonian filaments. This enhancement is explained by examining the value of f σ: D (σ: Elastic stress; D: Rate-of-strain tensor), which can be positive or negative. This quantity is positive when the flow does work on the polymer molecules but negative when the molecules do work on the flow, i.e., when elastic recoiling or unloading takes place. In prestressed filaments, elastic unloading takes place because σ: D < 0. The elastic stresses work by pulling the fluid in axially and pushing it out radially, thereby drastically increasing the tip velocity.  However, this enhancement in contraction velocity is not observed in low to intermediate viscosity prestressed filaments and whose Newtonian counterparts typically experience end-pinching. It has been established by others that end-pinching can be precluded in either filaments of intermediate viscosity or surfactant-laden filaments of low viscosity through a process known as escape from end-pinching. In this study, we demonstrate that a similar escape can also occur in prestressed viscoelastic filaments of low-to-intermediate viscosity, as revealed by one-dimensional numerical simulations and rationalized by examining when and where the elastic recoil takes place.</p> <p>Beyond cylindrical filaments, thin liquid films or planar liquid sheets are also prevalent in atomization, curtain coating, and other processes where liquid sheet stability has been a subject of extensive research. Numerous authors have examined wave formation and growth leading to sheet breakup. Free liquid films or sheets without edges or caps at their two ends, which typically have two free surfaces and are surrounded by air or sometimes another liquid, can destabilize and rupture due to intermolecular van der Waals attractive forces, despite the stabilizing influence of surface tension. In this thesis, the dynamics of contracting free films or sheets with caps---two-dimensional (2D) drops---of Newtonian fluids is examined without considering van der Waals forces to confirm or refute the hypothesis that such systems can rupture due to finite-amplitude perturbations even in the absence of intermolecular forces. In particular, both two-dimensional and one-dimensional high-accuracy simulations are employed to demonstrate that unlike inviscid 2D drops that can rupture in the absence of van der Waals forces, 2D drops or sheets can escape from pinch-off due to the action of viscous forces which are present in real systems no matter how small their viscosity. The reopening of the interface and escape from pinch-off in 2D drops and sheets are explained by demonstrating the key role played by vorticity. New power-law relations or scaling laws are obtained as a function of Ohnesorge number (ratio of viscous to the square root of the product of inertial and capillary forces) for the value of the minimum film thickness for which 2D drops or sheets stop thinning and after which the interface begins to reopen. Simple yet powerful arguments are presented rationalizing these scaling laws. It is expected that these power-law relations should be of great interest to experimentalists who study such phenomena by high-speed visualization experiments.</p> <p>Some of the motivation for this thesis research comes from crop spraying applications in which achieving zero or negligible drift is highly desirable. To further the understanding of fluid mechanics underpinning current and future drift reduction technologies, a simplified experimental setup is adopted to generate liquid sheets and analyze their disintegration into droplets. This new setup is both simpler and more universal than commonly utilized experimental systems that use single or multiple nozzles to generate liquid sheets and spray droplets from the disintegration of free liquid films. In the current experiments, droplets of test fluids are made to collide with or impact the top planar surface of a solid cylinder or rod. A series of MATLAB codes are developed and employed to extract droplet size distributions from images that are obtained from high-speed visualization experiments. The experimental setup and the means of data analysis are then used to probe the effect of fluid properties on the dynamics of sheet disintegration and droplet size distributions. It is hoped that future researchers will be able to combine what has been done in this thesis by simulations and in this chapter via experimental observations to develop an improved mechanistic understanding of spray formation.</p>

<p>Fibre suspensions in the fluid medium are common in industry, biology, and the environment. Industrial examples of concentrated suspensions include fresh concrete, uncured solid rocket fuel, and biomass slurries; natural examples include silt transfer in rivers and red blood cells in the blood.  These suspensions often include a Newtonian fluid as their suspending medium; still, these suspensions exhibit a plethora of non-Newtonian properties, such as yield stresses, rate-dependent rheology, and normal stresses, to name a few. Other than volume fraction, the type of fiber material, the presence of fluid-fiber or fiber-fiber interactions such as hydrodynamic, Brownian, colloidal, frictional, chemical, and/or electrostatic determine the rheological behavior of suspension. The average inter-fiber gaps between the neighboring fibers decrease significantly as the suspension volume fraction move towards a concentrated regime. As a result, in this regime, inter-fiber interactions become dominant.  Moreover, the surface asperities are present on the fiber surface even in the case of so-called smooth fibers, as fibers in real suspensions are not perfectly smooth. Hence, contact forces arising from the direct touching of the fibers become one of the essential factors in determining the rheology of suspensions.</p> <p>We first describe the causes of yield stress, shear thinning, and normal stress differences in fibre suspensions. We model the fibers as inextensible continuous flexible slender bodies with the Euler-Bernoulli beam equation governing their dynamics suspended in an incompressible Newtonian fluid. The fiber dynamics and fluid flow coupling is achieved using the immersed boundary method (IBM). In addition, the fiber surface roughness lead to inter-fiber contacts resulting in normal and tangential forces between the fibers, which follow Coulomb’s law of<br> friction. The surface roughness is modeled as hemispherical protrusions on the fiber surfaces. In addition to the comparison of the computational model to the experimental results, we demonstrate that attractive interactions lead to yield stress and shear thinning rheology.</p> <p>Furthermore, we investigate the effects of fiber aspect ratio, roughness, flexibility, and volume fraction on the rheology of concentrated suspensions. We find that the suspension viscosity increases with increasing the volume fraction, roughness, fiber rigidity, and aspect ratio. The increase in relative viscosity is the macroscopic manifestation of a similar increase  in the microscopic contact contribution with these parameters. In addition, we observe positive and negative first and second normal stress differences, respectively, in agreement with previous experiments. Lastly, we propose a modified Maron-Pierce law to quantify the the jamming volume fraction with varying fiber aspect ratio and roughness. Additionally, we provide a constitutive model to calculate the viscosity at various volume fractions, aspect ratios, and shear rates.</p>