Peeling, healing, and bursting in a lubricated elastic sheet

We consider the dynamics of an elastic sheet lubricated by the flow of a thin layer of fluid that separates it from a rigid wall. By considering long wavelength deformations of the sheet, we derive an evolution equation for its motion, accounting for the effects of elastic bending, viscous lubrication, and body forces. We then analyze various steady and unsteady problems for the sheet, such as peeling, healing, levitating, and bursting, using a combination of numerical simulation and dimensional analysis. On the macroscale, we corroborate our theory with a simple experiment, and, on the microscale, we analyze an oscillatory valve that can transform a continuous stream of fluid into a series of discrete pulses.