Flow of colloidal suspensions through small orifices.

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Materials Science
• Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Colloidal suspensions are ubiquitous in nature and industry.
• Understanding their flow behavior, especially near clogging events, is crucial.
• Intermittent flow and clogging in confined geometries remain poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To numerically investigate the influence of temperature on dense colloidal suspension flow through a small aperture.
• To elucidate the mechanisms behind intermittent flow regimes and clogging events.
• To analyze particle dynamics and transport under varying thermal conditions.

Main Methods:

• Numerical simulations using lattice-Boltzmann methods.
• Modeling a dense colloidal suspension driven by a pressure drop through a small outlet.
• Analysis of particle velocity statistics and flow intermittency.

Main Results:

• Temperature acts as a critical control parameter for the dynamic state of the suspension.
• Low temperatures induce long-duration flow interruptions (clogging events) exceeding characteristic timescales.
• High temperatures prevent stable aggregate formation, reducing extreme clogging but randomizing particle motion.

Conclusions:

• Temperature dictates the balance between advective and diffusive transport in the flow direction.
• Complex flow behavior and prolonged clogging at low temperatures are linked to intricate particle dynamics.
• Thermal noise randomizes trajectories, influencing advective flow and mitigating extreme clogging at higher temperatures.