Three-layered electro-osmosis modulated blood flow through a microchannel

Abstract

Electrokinetic peristaltic multi-layered transport is considered in a micro-channel under the action of an axial electrical field. Three different layers i.e. the core layer, intermediate layer and peripheral layer are simulated with three different viscosities for each fluid layer. The unsteady two-dimensional conservation equations for mass and momentum with electrokinetic body forces, are transformed from the wave frame to the laboratory frame and the electrical field terms are rendered into electrical potential terms via the Poisson–Boltzmann equation, Debye length approximation and ionic Nernst–Planck equation. The dimensionless emerging linearized electrokinetic boundary value problem is solved using integral methods. Closed-form expressions are derived for stream functions in the core, intermediate and peripheral layers. Expressions are also derived for the core–intermediate interface shape and the intermediate–peripheral interface shape. Maximum pressures are also computed. To study bolus migration, the range of the trapping limit is also determined in the peripheral layer. It is found that in the core layer larger boluses are computed in the case of lower intermediate layer viscosity relative to peripheral layer viscosity although the number of boluses is greater when the intermediate layer viscosity exceeds the peripheral layer viscosity. Furthermore, in the intermediate layer, stronger concentration of streamlines is computed in the lower half space with positive Helmholtz–Smoluchowski velocity. Also negative Helmholtz–Smoluchowski velocity reduces the core layer (H1) interface shape whereas it enhances the peripheral layer (H) and intermediate layer (H2) shapes. At lower values of volume flow rate ratio, hydromechanical efficiency is maximum for positive Helmholtz–Smoluchowski velocity whether intermediate layer viscosity is less or greater than peripheral layer viscosity. Finally, greater with greater peristaltic wave amplitude and also for positive Helmholtz–Smoluchowski velocity there is an increase in time-averaged flow rate, whether intermediate layer viscosity is less or greater than peripheral layer viscosity. The analysis is relevant to electro-kinetic hemodynamics and bio-micro-fluidics.