Computational fluid dynamics as a tool to understand the motility of microorganisms

Thomas Scherr; Chunliang Wu; W. Todd Monroe; Krishnaswamy Nandakumar

doi:10.1016/j.compfluid.2015.03.012

Computational fluid dynamics as a tool to understand the motility of microorganisms

Thomas Scherr^*, Chunliang Wu, W. Todd Monroe, Krishnaswamy Nandakumar

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this work we demonstrate the utility of a new computational algorithm, based on the finite volume method, for simulating the motility of microorganisms. The approach is adopted from our work on discrete particle modeling. The shape of a swimming cell is reconstructed as a contiguous sequence of spherical particles at discrete locations on the surface of the cell head and flagella, and the motion of each sphere is prescribed from experimentally observed motions. The spherical particles contribute to the fluid's momentum as point forces. By computing the hydrodynamic interaction of the prescribed motion, we can calculate a propulsive velocity. We extensively validate our model with analytical results and other established numerical methods. Both qualitative and quantitative agreement are demonstrated across a wide range of low Reynolds number phenomena. Since it is implemented as an add-on module to computational fluid dynamics solvers such as FLUENT or OpenFOAM, it has the potential for broad utility in the viscous regime.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	274-283
Number of pages	10
Journal	Computers and Fluids
Volume	114
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compfluid.2015.03.012
State	Published - 2 Jul 2015
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Cellular swimming
Finite volume method
Microorganism motility
Numerical methods

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10.1016/j.compfluid.2015.03.012

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title = "Computational fluid dynamics as a tool to understand the motility of microorganisms",

abstract = "In this work we demonstrate the utility of a new computational algorithm, based on the finite volume method, for simulating the motility of microorganisms. The approach is adopted from our work on discrete particle modeling. The shape of a swimming cell is reconstructed as a contiguous sequence of spherical particles at discrete locations on the surface of the cell head and flagella, and the motion of each sphere is prescribed from experimentally observed motions. The spherical particles contribute to the fluid's momentum as point forces. By computing the hydrodynamic interaction of the prescribed motion, we can calculate a propulsive velocity. We extensively validate our model with analytical results and other established numerical methods. Both qualitative and quantitative agreement are demonstrated across a wide range of low Reynolds number phenomena. Since it is implemented as an add-on module to computational fluid dynamics solvers such as FLUENT or OpenFOAM, it has the potential for broad utility in the viscous regime.",

keywords = "Cellular swimming, Finite volume method, Microorganism motility, Numerical methods",

author = "Thomas Scherr and Chunliang Wu and Monroe, {W. Todd} and Krishnaswamy Nandakumar",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 Elsevier Ltd.",

year = "2015",

month = jul,

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doi = "10.1016/j.compfluid.2015.03.012",

language = "英语",

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journal = "Computers and Fluids",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Computational fluid dynamics as a tool to understand the motility of microorganisms

AU - Scherr, Thomas

AU - Wu, Chunliang

AU - Monroe, W. Todd

AU - Nandakumar, Krishnaswamy

PY - 2015/7/2

Y1 - 2015/7/2

N2 - In this work we demonstrate the utility of a new computational algorithm, based on the finite volume method, for simulating the motility of microorganisms. The approach is adopted from our work on discrete particle modeling. The shape of a swimming cell is reconstructed as a contiguous sequence of spherical particles at discrete locations on the surface of the cell head and flagella, and the motion of each sphere is prescribed from experimentally observed motions. The spherical particles contribute to the fluid's momentum as point forces. By computing the hydrodynamic interaction of the prescribed motion, we can calculate a propulsive velocity. We extensively validate our model with analytical results and other established numerical methods. Both qualitative and quantitative agreement are demonstrated across a wide range of low Reynolds number phenomena. Since it is implemented as an add-on module to computational fluid dynamics solvers such as FLUENT or OpenFOAM, it has the potential for broad utility in the viscous regime.

AB - In this work we demonstrate the utility of a new computational algorithm, based on the finite volume method, for simulating the motility of microorganisms. The approach is adopted from our work on discrete particle modeling. The shape of a swimming cell is reconstructed as a contiguous sequence of spherical particles at discrete locations on the surface of the cell head and flagella, and the motion of each sphere is prescribed from experimentally observed motions. The spherical particles contribute to the fluid's momentum as point forces. By computing the hydrodynamic interaction of the prescribed motion, we can calculate a propulsive velocity. We extensively validate our model with analytical results and other established numerical methods. Both qualitative and quantitative agreement are demonstrated across a wide range of low Reynolds number phenomena. Since it is implemented as an add-on module to computational fluid dynamics solvers such as FLUENT or OpenFOAM, it has the potential for broad utility in the viscous regime.

KW - Cellular swimming

KW - Finite volume method

KW - Microorganism motility

KW - Numerical methods

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U2 - 10.1016/j.compfluid.2015.03.012

DO - 10.1016/j.compfluid.2015.03.012

M3 - 文章

AN - SCOPUS:84926640089

SN - 0045-7930

VL - 114

SP - 274

EP - 283

JO - Computers and Fluids

JF - Computers and Fluids

ER -

Computational fluid dynamics as a tool to understand the motility of microorganisms

Abstract

Keywords

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