A Constrained Particle Dynamics for Continuum-Particle Hybrid Method in Micro- and Nano-Fluidics

A hybrid method of continuum and particle dynamics is developed for micro- and nano-fluidics, where fluids are described by a molecular dynamics (MD) in one domain and by the Navier-Stokes (NS) equations in another domain. In order to ensure the continuity of momentum flux, the continuum and molecular dynamics in the overlap domain are coupled through a constrained particle dynamics. The constrained particle dynamics is constructed with a virtual damping force and a virtual added mass force. The sudden-start Couette flows with either non-slip or slip boundary condition are used to test the hybrid method. It is shown that the results obtained are quantitatively in agreement with the analytical solutions under the non-slip boundary conditions and the full MD simulations under the slip boundary conditions.

Streamline topology and dilute particle dynamics in a Karman vortex street flow

Three types of streamline topology in a Karman vortex street flow are shown under the variation of spatial parameters. For the motion of dilute particles in the Karman vortex street flow, there exist a route of bifurcation to a chaotic orbit and more attractors in a bifurcation diagram for the proportion of particle density to fluid density. Along with the increase of spatial parameters in the flow field, the bifurcation process is suspended, as well as more and more attractors emerge. In the motion of dilute particles, a drag term and gravity term dominate and result in the bifurcation phenomenon.

Dissipative particle dynamics simulation of wettability alternation phenomena in the chemical flooding process

Wettability alternation phenomena is considered one of the most important enhanced oil recovery (EOR) mechanisms in the chemical flooding process and induced by the adsorption of surfactant on the rock surface. These phenomena are studied by a mesoscopic method named as dissipative particle dynamics (DPD). Both the alteration phenomena of water-wet to oil-wet and that of oil-wet to water-wet are simulated based on reasonable definition of interaction parameters between beads. The wetting hysteresis phenomenon and the process of oil-drops detachment from rock surfaces with different wettability are simulated by adding long-range external forces on the fluid particles. The simulation results show that, the oil drop is liable to spread on the oil-wetting surface and move in the form of liquid film flow, whereas it is likely to move as a whole on the water-wetting surface. There are the same phenomena occuring in wettability-alternated cases. The results also show that DPD method provides a feasible approach to the problems of seepage flow with physicochemical phenomena and can be used to study the mechanism of EOR of chemical flooding.

Numerical study on heavy rigid particle motion in a plane wake flow by spectral element method

Experimental particle dispersion patterns in a plane wake flow at a high Reynolds number have been predicted numerically by discrete vortex method (Phys. Fluids A 1992; 4:2244-2251; Int. J. Multiphase Flow 2000; 26:1583-1607). To address the particle motion at a moderate Reynolds number, spectral element method is employed to provide an instantaneous wake flow field for particle dynamics equations, which are solved to make a detail classification of the patterns in relation to the Stokes and Froude numbers. It is found that particle motion features only depend on the Stokes number at a high Froude number and depend on both numbers at a low Froude number. A ratio of the Stokes number to squared Froude number is introduced and threshold values of this parameter are evaluated that delineate the different regions of particle behavior. The parameter describes approximately the gravitational settling velocity divided by the characteristic velocity of wake flow. In order to present effects of particle density but preserve rigid sphere, hollow sphere particle dynamics in the plane wake flow is investigated. The evolution of hollow particle motion patterns for the increase of equivalent particle density corresponds to that of solid particle motion patterns for the decrease of particle size. Although the thresholds change a little, the parameter can still make a good qualitative classification of particle motion patterns as the inner diameter changes.

Comparison of aggregation behaviors between branched and linear block polyethers: MesoDyn simulation study

The comparison of aggregation behaviors between the branched block polyether T1107 (polyether A) and linear polyether (EO)(60)(PO)(40)(EO)(60) (polyether B) in aqueous solution are investigated by the MesoDyn simulation. Polyether A forms micelles at lower concentration and has a smaller aggregation number than B. Both the polyethers show the time-dependent micellar growth behaviors. The spherical micelles appear and then change to rod-like micelles with time evolution in the 10 vol% solution of polyether A. The micellar cluster appears and changes to pseudo-spherical micelles with time evolution in the 20 vol% solution of polyether A. However, the spherical micelles appear and change to micellar cluster with time evolution in the 20 vol% polyether B solution. The shear can induce the micellar transition of both block polyethers. When the shear rate is 1x10(5) s(-1), the shear can induce the sphere-to-rod transition of both polyethers at the concentration of 10 and 20 vol%. When the shear rate is lower than 1x10(5) s(-1), the huge micelles and micellar clusters can be formed in the 10 and 20 vol% polyether A systems under the shear, while the huge micelles are formed and then disaggregated with the time evolution in the 20 vol% polyether B system.

A dynamic coupling model for hybrid atomistic-continuum computations

A dynamic coupling model is developed for a hybrid atomistic-continuum computation in micro- and nano-fluidics. In the hybrid atomistic-continuum computation, a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is utilized in one region where the continuum assumption breaks down and the Navier-Stokes (NS) equations are used in another region where the continuum assumption holds. In the overlapping part of these two regions, a constrained particle dynamics is needed to couple the MD simulation and the NS equations. The currently existing coupling models for the constrained particle dynamics have a coupling parameter, which has to be empirically determined. In the present work, a novel dynamic coupling model is introduced where the coupling parameter can be calculated as the computation progresses rather than inputing a priori. The dynamic coupling model is based on the momentum constraint and exhibits a correct relaxation rate. The results from the hybrid simulation on the Couette flow and the Stokes flow are in good agreement with the data from the full MD simulation and the solutions of the NS equations, respectively. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

乳化和润湿反转现象的耗散粒子动力学研究

利用耗散粒子动力学方法,研究了化学驱过程中乳化和润湿反转两个重要的物理化学现象.通过合理划分流体粒子和定义粒子之间相互作用参数,模拟了十二烷基苯磺酸钠、正十二烷和水三组分体系的自发乳化现象;通过附加固壁条件,模拟了在水动力作用下吸附在岩石表面的油珠发生破裂的非自发乳化过程,以及由于表面活性剂在岩石表面吸附而引起的润湿反转现象,比较了润湿反转前后残余油珠的运动情况.模拟结果表明:作为介观力学的离散粒子动力学方法,耗散粒子动力学方法可作为研究包含物理化学现象的化学驱渗流问题的重要手段.

Coulomb expansion of deuterated methane clusters irradiated by an ultrashort intense laser pulse

The simulations of three-dimensional particle dynamics show that when irradiated by an ultrashort intense laser pulse, the deuterated methane cluster expands and the majority of deuterons overrun the more slowly expanding carbon ions, resulting in the creation of two separated subclusters. The enhanced deuteron kinetic energy and a narrow peak around the energy maximum in the deuteron energy distribution make a considerable contribution to the efficiency of nuclear fusion compared with the case of homonuclear deuterium clusters. With the intense laser irradiation, the nuclear fusion yield increases with the increase of the cluster size, so that deuterated heteronuclear clusters with larger sizes are required to achieve a greater neutron yield.

离子束溅射法薄膜生长中结瘤微缺陷的生长机理

用离子束溅射法制备了锆单层薄膜．用设计新型夹具和预置种子方法，对薄膜中结瘤微缺陷的生长过程进行了研究．在高分辨率光学显微镜和扫描电子显微镜下观察发现，结瘤在其生长初期呈现出分形的特征．用分子动力学和薄膜生长的扩散限制聚集模型，薄膜中结瘤微缺陷成核时的分形现象得到了很好的解释．

胶体体系的固化及分离过程的计算机模拟

胶体体系是自然界很重要的组成部分，广泛应用于工业生产和日常生活中。胶体体系在固化的过程中，会形成有序的晶体结构或无序的玻璃态结构。对胶体的结晶和玻璃化的认识对研究相变理论，纳米材料以及自组装有着重要的意义。事实上，在这一领域存在着许多悬而未决的问题。另一方面，胶体的分离也是胶体科学研究中不可或缺的步骤。特别是近年来微流器件技术的进步为流体动力学色谱分离方法带来了进一步发展的机会，这为胶体的分离提供了非常有效的实验手段。然而，由于实际应用过程的复杂性，理论方法还不足以深入探讨胶体粒子体系固化和分离的本质。作为一种可以直接反映物理过程的研究方法，计算机模拟成为一种有效的研究胶体粒子固化和分离的手段。 硬球模型是一种最简单的胶体粒子体系，能够很好地描述具有体积排斥作用的胶体粒子的行为，因此，对于胶体粒子体系固化问题，我们采用分子动力学方法研究了硬球粒子体系的固化过程。此外，对于胶体和高分子体系的分离过程，我们主要采用耗散分子动力学（dissipative particle dynamics DPD）进行研究。论文的主要内容包括： 1)采用硬球分子动力学模型，研究了胶体颗粒在不同的压缩速率下得到的堆积态的结构异质性。我们应用Lubachevsky-Stillinger方法，在不同的压缩速率下得到了一系列的结构受限的硬球堆积状态。这些体系的有序度随着压缩速率的减小而增加，而体系的密度则是先增加后减小又增加，在中间压缩速率时出现最小值。通过测量体系中的局域序参量分布，粒子位置的均方根涨落分布和直接观察受限粒子的位置，发现这些状态中包含有无规区域和结晶区域，存在显著的结构异质性。特别的是低密度状态中许多小的有序区域互相连接成贯穿体系的逾渗网络，说明晶区之间的结构不匹配是生成这些状态的重要机理。 2)用DPD方法模拟了线性高分子链和星形高分子链在穿越纳米孔道的输运过程。对复合管道中小管的半径分别为2.5 和2.0 的两种情况进行了研究。在各种情况下我们都发现了存在一个临界流量Jc，只有当流量大于Jc的时候高分子才能进入纳米孔洞。对于线性高分子，长链的高分子进入同样粗细的小管所需要的临界流量比短链大。线性链和星形链在半径是2.0小管子中的临界流量比通过半径2.5的管子的临界流量大，或者近似相同。在半径2.5的小管中，星形高分子的临界流量要大于同等尺寸的线性高分子。此外，我们没有观察到不同接枝数的星形高分子的临界流量之间的差异。出现这种情况的原因可能是DPD模型中粒子间的相互作用势能很软，所以不能很好地体现出不同接枝数的星形高分子在位阻上的差异。 3）我们利用DPD方法模拟了圆柱形管道中线性高分子链的输运过程。比较了模拟得到的高分子保留时间和DG理论预测值之间的差异。发现分子量越大的高分子对DG理论的偏离越显著。计算了高分子链在流动过程中伸长的情况，发现了链的伸长率S与Weissenberg number 有着明确的标度关系。与狭缝中的情况类似，对于圆柱型管道中流动的线性高分子，如果采用修饰过的Peclet number，则能够更好地满足Aris-Taylor分散的标度关系。 4)我们建立了纳米粒子在DPD模拟的动力学模型，研究了在本体溶液中纳米粒子的自扩散系数和速度关联函数对与胶体粒子的半径定性关系。发现纳米粒子的扩散系数随粒子半径的增加而减小。纳米粒子的半径越大，其速度关联函数的衰减越慢，同样大小纳米粒子的质量越大，其速度关联函数衰减得越慢。我们进一步模拟了在狭缝中纳米粒子的输运过程。通过观察流体受限方向的流速曲线，我们发现由于与器壁之间的体积排斥作用，使得纳米粒子远离流体的边界。对Aris-Taylor分散的研究结果表明，在λ不大的时候，应用不同的Peclet numbers 对分散方程结果的影响不大。

耗散粒子动力学处理复杂固体壁面的一种有效方法

耗散粒子动力学(dissipative particle dynamics,DPD)作为一种介观尺度拉格朗日型粒子方法,已经成功地应用于微纳米流动和生化科技的研究中. 复杂固体壁面的处理和壁面边界条件的实施一直是DPD方法发展及应用的一个障碍. 提出了处理复杂固体壁面的一种新的方法. 复杂固体区域通过冻结随机分布并且达到平衡状态的DPD粒子代表;所冻结的DPD粒子位于临近流动区域的一个截距内;在靠近固体壁面的流动区域中设置流动反弹层,当流动DPD粒子进入此流动层后反弹回流动区域. 应用这种固体壁面处理方法.

A stochastic jump and deterministic dynamics model of impact failure evolution with rate effect

Motivated by the observation of the rate effect on material failure, a model of nonlinear and nonlocal evolution is developed, that includes both stochastic and dynamic effects. In phase space a transitional region prevails, which distinguishes the failure behavior from a globally stable one to that of catastrophic. Several probability functions are found to characterize the distinctive features of evolution due to different degrees of nucleation, growth and coalescence rates. The results may provide a better understanding of material failure.

Kinetic theory for particle concentration distribution in two phase flow

The results of experiments in open channels and closed pipelines show two kinds of patterns for the vertical distribution of particle concentration (i.e., pattern I and pattern II). The former shows a pattern of maximum concentration at some location above the bottom and the downward decay of the concentration below the location. The latter always shows an increase of the particle concentration downward over the whole vertical, with the maximum value at the bottom. Many investigations were made on the pattern II, but few were made on pattern I. In this paper, a particle velocity distribution function is first obtained in the equilibrium state or in dilute steady state for the particle in two-phase flows, then a theoretical model for the particle concentration distribution is derived from the kinetic theory. More attention is paid to the predictions of the concentration distribution of pattern I and comparisons of the present model are made with the data measured by means of laser doppler anemometry (LDA). Very good agreements are obtained between the measured and calculated results.

An algorithm for coarse particle sedimentation simulation by Stokesian dynamics

Coarse Particle sedimentation is studied by using an algorithm with no adjustable parameters based on stokesian dynamics. Only inter-particle interactions of hydrodynamic force and gravity are considered. The sedimentation of a simple cubic array of spheres is used to verify the computational results. The scaling and parallelism with OpenMP of the method are presented. Random suspension sedimentation is investigated with Mont Carlo simulation. The computational results are shown in good agreement with experimental fitting at the lower computational cost of O(N In N).