Dynamic Response of a Red Blood Cell in Shear Flow

Abstract

Three-dimensional simulation of a red blood cell deformation in a shear flow isperformed using immersed boundary lattice Boltzmann method for the fluid flow simulation, as well asfinite element method for membrane deformation. Immersed boundary method has been used to modelinteraction between fluid and membrane of the red blood cell. Red blood cell is modeled as a biconcavediscoid capsule containing fluid with an elastic membrane. Computations are performed at relativelysmall and large shear rates in order to study the dynamic behavior of red blood cell, especially tumblingand swinging modes of its motion. A rigid-body-like motion with the constant-amplitude oscillationof deformation parameter and continuous rotation is observed for red blood cell at its tumbling mode.However, at a relatively large shear rate, red blood cell follows a periodic gradual deformation andelongation with a final ellipsoidal shape. The effect of different initial orientations of red blood cell isalso investigated in the present paper. Results show that the dynamic response of red blood cell is notsensitive to this parameter.