Levitation of heavy particles against gravity in asymptotically downward flows

In the fluid transport of particles, it is generally expected that heavy particles carried by a laminar fluid flow moving downward will also move downward. We establish a theory to show, however, that particles can be dynamically levitated and lifted by interacting vortices in such flows, thereby mo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:arXiv.org 2017-03
Main Authors: Jean-Regis Angilella, Case, Daniel J, Motter, Adilson E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aerodynamics
Air transportation
Asymptotic properties
Fluid dynamics
Fluid flow
Gravitation
Laminar flow
Levitation
Sediments
Water drops
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Summary:In the fluid transport of particles, it is generally expected that heavy particles carried by a laminar fluid flow moving downward will also move downward. We establish a theory to show, however, that particles can be dynamically levitated and lifted by interacting vortices in such flows, thereby moving against gravity and the asymptotic direction of the flow, even when they are orders of magnitude denser than the fluid. The particle levitation is rigorously demonstrated for potential flows and supported by simulations for viscous flows. We suggest that this counterintuitive effect has potential implications for the air-transport of water droplets and the lifting of sediments in water.
ISSN:2331-8422
DOI:10.48550/arxiv.1703.03296