Rheology and structure of elastic capsule suspensions within rectangular channels

Abstract

Three-dimensional simulations of the pressure-driven flow dynamics of elastic capsule suspensions within both slit and rectangular cross-section channels are presented. The simulations utilize the Immersed Boundary Method and the Lattice–Boltzmann Method models. The capsule volume fraction is fixed at 0.1 (i.e., a semi-dilute suspension), while the channel Reynolds number (Re), the capillary number (Ca), and the cross-sectional channel dimensions are systematically varied. Comparing results for slit and rectangular channels, it is found that multi-directional confinement hinders inertial focusing due to the capsule-free layers that develop in the two transverse directions. Furthermore, the thicknesses of the capsule-free layers in the two transverse directions differ when the height and width of the channel are not equal. Both the size and aspect ratio of the channel impact the apparent viscosity. It is found that square channels exhibit maximal viscosity and that holding one dimension fixed while increasing or decreasing the other results in a decrease in viscosity. The results therefore represent an expansion of the Fahraeus–Lindqvist effect from 1D cylindrical channels to 2D rectangular channels.