Motion of a neutrally buoyant elliptical particle in a double-lid-driven square cavity

Abstract

Understanding, predicting and controlling the motion of the solid particles became active research topics, like debris flows, sand storms, transport of volcanic ash, coal combustion, drug delivery and steel making. Thus, the motion of a neutrally buoyant elliptical particle in a double-lid-driven square cavity is studied with the lattice Boltzmann method, where the effects of the initial position, Reynolds number and aspect ratio are studied. The square cavity is divided into two parts by the two primary vortexes, and the motion of the elliptical particle is determined by the interaction of the two primary vortexes. The limit cycle is sensitive to the initial position of the elliptical particle, namely, placing the elliptical particle at different positions initially, the motion of the elliptical particle exhibits different modes. Especially, the elliptical particle is apt to cross the horizontal centerline of the square cavity at moderate Reynolds numbers. The effect of the Reynolds number on the motion of the elliptical particle is significant, with the increase of the Reynolds number, the effects of the two primary vortexes on the motion of the elliptical particle are different, which affects the trajectory of the elliptical particle fundamentally. With the increase of the aspect ratio, the elliptical particle becomes flatter, the hydrodynamic force and torque acting on the elliptical particle become unbalanced and the elliptical particle no longer moves along the 8-like limit cycle.