Lagrangian tracking of fibres in a channel flow

Abstract

Tracking of fibres in a fluid flow is much more complicated than tracking of spherical particles. In fibre motion, the orientation of fibre against the flow direction plays a very important role. In addition to the standard equation of motion, additional equations for orientation and angular velocity must be solved during the tracking of fibres. A mathematical model describing fibre motion is introduced in this work. Capabilities of this model are demonstrated through simulations of fibre transportation by air in a channel flow. The importance of the terms in the equation of angular velocity are discussed.