Numerical simulation of clogging in a microchannel with planar contraction

Abstract

Clogging is the mechanism that interrupts the flow in confined geometries due to the complete blockage of the channel cross section. It represents a critical issue in the processing of particle suspensions for both industrial and biological applications, and it is particularly relevant in microfluidics and membrane technology due to the high particle confinement and the difficult device cleaning. Although numerous experimental and numerical studies have been carried out to understand the mechanism governing this complex multiscale phenomenon, the picture is not yet clear and many questions still remain, especially at the particle level. In this regard, the numerical simulations may represent a useful investigation tool since they provide a direct insight to quantities not easily accessible from experiments. In this work, a detailed computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method simulation study on the clogging mechanism in a microchannel with planar contraction is carried out. Both constant flow rate and constant pressure drop conditions are investigated, highlighting the effect of flow conditions, particle volume fraction, cohesion forces, and contraction angle. The onset of clogging conditions is discussed.