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Buoyancy–flow coupled dispersion of active spheroids in a vertical pipe: effects of elongation and settling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 March 2025

Bohan Wang Open the ORCID record for Bohan Wang [Opens in a new window] ,
Weiquan Jiang Open the ORCID record for Weiquan Jiang [Opens in a new window] ,
Li Zeng Open the ORCID record for Li Zeng [Opens in a new window]  and
Guoqian Chen Open the ORCID record for Guoqian Chen [Opens in a new window]
Bohan Wang
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Water Security in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, PR China
Weiquan Jiang
Affiliation:
National Observation and Research Station of Coastal Ecological Environments in Macao, Macao Environmental Research Institute, Faculty of Innovation Engineering, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao 999078, PR China
Li Zeng*
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Water Security in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, PR China
Guoqian Chen
Affiliation:
National Observation and Research Station of Coastal Ecological Environments in Macao, Macao Environmental Research Institute, Faculty of Innovation Engineering, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao 999078, PR China Laboratory of Systems Ecology and Sustainability Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
*
Corresponding author: Li Zeng, [email protected]
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Abstract

Many particles, whether passive or active, possess elongated shapes. When these particles settle or swim in shear flows, they often form regions of accumulation and depletion. Additionally, the density contrast between the particles and the fluid can further alter the flow by increasing the local suspension density, resulting in a two-way buoyancy–flow coupling mechanism. This study investigates the buoyancy–flow coupled dispersion of active spheroids, examining the effects of elongation, orientation-dependent settling and gyrotaxis in a vertical pipe subjected to either downwards or upwards discharge. While the concentration and velocity profiles of passive settling spheroids and spherical gyrotactic swimmers can be analysed similarly to a recent study, notable differences in dispersion characteristics emerge due to different streamline-crossing mechanisms. For suspensions of elongated swimmers, the interplay between orientation-dependent settling, gyrotaxis-induced accumulation and shear-induced trapping results in distinct concentration and velocity distributions compared to those of neutrally buoyant particles and extremely dilute suspensions with negligible coupling effect. These differences further impact drift velocity, dispersivity, and the time elapsed to steady dispersion under varying flow rates. Interestingly, low-shear trapping of non-settling elongated swimmers around the centreline, commonly observed in planar Poiseuille flow, is absent in the vertical pipe due to the change of confinement from reflectional to rotational symmetry. However, elongated settling swimmers show a non-trivial concentration response to strong downwelling discharge. This phenomenon, linked to the centreline accumulation of passive settling spheroids, bears similarities to low-shear trapping observed in planar Poiseuille flow.

JFM classification

Biological Fluid Dynamics: Swimming/flying Mass Transport: Dispersion
Type
JFM Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 1007 , 25 March 2025 , A67
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© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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