20th National Institute of Aerospace CFD Seminar

Topic: Numerical Simulations of Passive and Active Nematic Polymer Suspensions using Kinetic Model

Speaker: Ruhai Zhou

Date: Tuesday, November 6

Time: 11:00am-noon

Location: NIA room 137

Dr. Zhou is Associate Professor in Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Old Dominion University. He is currently working on the scientific computations, numerical analysis, and numerical simulations of complex fluids.

Abstract:

We first review the kinetic model for passive rigid, rod-like nematic polymers which are elements of many high-performance nano-composite materials and are peocessed in liquid state to engineer for a varity of desired material properties. Some interesting stable states, along with their transitions, will be examined in the space of concentration and shear rate. Then we study a few numerical simulations on the structure formation of nematic polymers in the plane Couette cell by including flow feedback, boundary effects and long-range distortional elasticity. Rheological properties will be briefly shown for some complex structures, such as the defect core. Finally we move on to active nematic polymer suspensions, in which active particles can push or pull themselves in the liquid. We present the numerical method and show the extensive computational cost for the simulation of nematic polymers using kinetic model, which is coupled with Navier-Stokes equations. Several excitable patterns emerging from longwave instabilities of active, polar nano-rod pusher suspensions at dilute concentrations will be discussed.

Link to webcast can be found at the seminar website:

http://www.hiroakinishikawa.com/niacfds/