Radial viscous fingering in miscible Hele-Shaw flows: a numerical study
Ching-Yao Chen1, C-W Huang, Hermes Gadêlha
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China. chingyao@mail.nctu.edu.tw
Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|September 4, 2008
Summary
This study explores fluid dynamics in rotating Hele-Shaw cells, investigating how injection, diffusion, and Korteweg stresses influence pattern formation in miscible fluids. Simulations reveal complex behaviors and predict novel morphologies.
Area of Science:
- Fluid dynamics
- Pattern formation
- Complex systems
Background:
- Viscous fingering is a classic fluid instability in Hele-Shaw cells.
- Previous studies primarily focused on immiscible fluids.
- Understanding miscible fluid behavior is crucial for various applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate fingering instabilities in miscible fluids within a rotating radial Hele-Shaw cell.
- To explore the combined effects of injection/suction, diffusion, rotation, and Korteweg stresses.
- To bridge the gap between miscible and immiscible fluid pattern formation.
Main Methods:
- Intensive numerical simulations of a modified viscous fingering problem.
- Modeling miscible fluids with a diffusing interface.
- Incorporating centrifugal, Coriolis, and Korteweg stress effects.
Main Results:
- Observed a variety of fingering behaviors influenced by the interplay of different forces.
- Demonstrated that rotation significantly alters pattern morphology.
- Showed good agreement between simulated miscible fronts and existing experimental/theoretical results.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully models complex pattern formation in rotating Hele-Shaw cells with miscible fluids.
- Predicts novel morphologies not yet experimentally realized.
- Highlights the importance of considering multiple physical effects for accurate fluid dynamics modeling.
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