Lift and drag forces acting on a particle moving with zero slip in a linear shear flow near a wall

Abstract

The lift and drag forces acting on a small spherical particle in a single wall-bounded linear shear flow are examined via numerical computation. The effects of shear rate are isolated from those of slip by setting the particle velocity equal to the local fluid velocity (zero slip), and examining the resulting hydrodynamic forces as a function of separation distance. In contrast to much of the previous numerical literature, low shear Reynolds numbers are considered (10-3 ≲ Reγ ≲ 10-1). This shear rate range is relevant when dealing with particulate flows within small channels, for example particle migration in microfluidic devices being used or developed for the biotech industry. We demonstra..