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A three-dimensional model for flow pumping in a microchannel inspired by insect respiration

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Abstract

We present a three-dimensional model for flow pumping in a channel induced by two moving contractions from the upper wall. This pumping model is inspired by insect respiration processes, specifically, the rhythmic collapses that take place within their tracheal tube networks. The present work is a natural extension of our previous theoretical and numerical investigations of a two-dimensional insect-inspired micropumping model, which accounts for three-dimensional effects and further validates our insect-inspired pumping paradigm (Aboelkassem and Staples in Acta Mech 223(3):463–480, 2012a; Theor Comput Fluid Dyn, 2012b. doi:10.1007/s00162-012-0269-7). The formal goal of this article is to compare three-dimensional Stokeslets-meshfree numerical results with results from our previous two-dimensional analytical pumping model. We use regularized Stokeslets-meshfree computations in three dimensions to reconstruct the flow motions induced by wall contractions and to calculate the time-averaged net flow pumping rate. The results show that, although the net flow rate distribution as a function of the wall motion time (phase) lag parameter for the three-dimensional Stokeslets-meshfree computations and the two-dimensional analytical model displays some differences, the same basic features appear in both cases, leading to the same general conclusions about the proposed pumping paradigm.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA

    Yasser Aboelkassem

  2. Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Anne E. Staples

Authors
  1. Yasser Aboelkassem
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  2. Anne E. Staples
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Correspondence to Yasser Aboelkassem.

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Aboelkassem, Y., Staples, A.E. A three-dimensional model for flow pumping in a microchannel inspired by insect respiration. Acta Mech 225, 493–507 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00707-013-0964-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00707-013-0964-5

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