Analyzing irreversibilities in Stokes flows containing suspended particles using the traction boundary integral equation method

Abstract

Irreversibilities in suspension flows at low Reynolds numbers have been observed experimentally. These irreversibilities can lead to particle migration, normal stress differences, and complex microstructure including particle chains and agglomerations. The morphology of the microstructure formation and the relationship of the microstructure to the continuum properties of the suspension are current topics of research interest. Detailed information concerning the microstructure is hard to obtain experimentally, and hence, accurate numerical simulation capabilities are becoming relied on more heavily to fill the gap between the mesoscale and continuum properties. In this research, a traction boundary integral equation (TBIE) method is used to analyze irreversibilities in Stokes flow containing suspended particles. The TBIE is particularly well-suited for this type of analysis since the associated discretized sets of linear equations are better conditioned than the more prevalent velocity boundary integral equation (VBIE) method especially as particles tend to aggregate.