Low Reynolds Number Swimming Near Interfaces in Multi-Fluid Media

Microorganisms often swim within heterogeneous fluid media composed of multiple materials with very different properties. The swimming speed is greatly affected by the composition and rheology of the fluidic environment. In addition, biological locomotions are also strongly influenced by the presence of phase boundaries and free interfaces, across which physical properties of the fluid media may vary significantly. Using a two-fluid immersed boundary method, we investigate the classical Taylor’s swimming sheet problem near interfaces within multi-fluid media. The accuracy of the methodology is illustrated through comparisons with analytical solutions. Our simulation results indicate that the interface dynamics and phase separation in the multi-fluid mixture are closely coupled with the movement of the swimmer. Depending on the interface location, the frictional coefficient, and the multi-fluid composition, the swimmer can move faster or slower than that in a single phase fluid.

Optimal motion control of three-sphere based low-Reynolds number swimming microrobot

Microrobots with their promising applications are attracting a lot of attention currently. A microrobot with a triangular mechanism was previously proposed by scientists to overcome the motion limitations in a low-Reynolds number flow; however, the control of this swimmer for performing desired manoeuvres has not been studied yet. Here, we have proposed some strategies for controlling its position. Considering the constraints on arm lengths, we proposed an optimal controller based on quadratic programming. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed optimal controller can steer the microrobot along the desired trajectory as well as minimize fluctuations of the actuators length.

A two-dimensional model of low-Reynolds number swimming beneath a free surface

Biological organisms swimming at low-Reynolds number are often influenced by the presence of rigid boundaries and soft interfaces. In this paper, we present an analysis of locomotion near a free surface with surface tension. Using a simplified two-dimensional singularity model and combining a complex variable approach with conformal mapping techniques, we demonstrate that the deformation of a free surface can be harnessed to produce steady locomotion parallel to the interface. The crucial physical ingredient lies in the nonlinear hydrodynamic coupling between the disturbance flow created by the swimmer and the free boundary problem at the fluid surface.