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We develop a theory of fluid--structure interaction (FSI) between an oscillatory Newtonian fluid flow and a compliant conduit. We consider the canonical geometries of a 2D channel with a deformable top wall and an axisymmetric deformable tube. Focusing on the hydrodynamics, we employ a linear relationship between wall displacement and hydrodynamic pressure, which has been shown to be suitable for a leading-order-in-slenderness theory. The slenderness assumption also allows the use of lubrication theory, and the flow rate is related to the pressure gradient (and the tube/wall deformation) via the classical solutions for oscillatory flow in a channel and in a tube (attributed to Womersley). Then, by two-way coupling the oscillatory flow and the wall deformation via the continuity equation, a one-dimensional nonlinear partial differential equation (PDE) governing the instantaneous pressure distribution along the conduit is obtained, without \textit{a priori} assumptions on the magnitude of the oscillation frequency (\textit{i.e.}, at arbitrary Womersley number). We find that the cycle-averaged pressure (for harmonic pressure-controlled conditions) deviates from the expected steady pressure distribution, suggesting the presence of a streaming flow. An analytical perturbative solution for a weakly deformable conduit is obtained to rationalize how FSI induces such streaming. In the case of a compliant tube, the results obtained from the proposed reduced-order PDE and its perturbative solutions are validated against three-dimensional, two-way-coupled direct numerical simulations. We find good agreement between theory and simulations for a range of dimensionless parameters characterizing the oscillatory flow and the FSI, demonstrating the validity of the proposed theory of oscillatory flows in compliant conduits at arbitrary Womersley number.
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This content will become publicly available on November 4, 2026
Oscillatory flows in three-dimensional deformable microchannels
Deformable microchannels emulate a key characteristic of soft biological systems and flexible engineering devices: the flow-induced deformation of the conduit due to slow viscous flow within. Elucidating the two-way coupling between oscillatory flow and deformation of a three-dimensional (3-D) rectangular channel is crucial for designing lab-on-a-chip and organ-on-a-chip microsystems and eventually understanding flow–structure instabilities that can enhance mixing and transport. To this end, we determine the axial variations of the primary flow, pressure and deformation for Newtonian fluids in the canonical geometry of a slender (long) and shallow (wide) 3-D rectangular channel with a deformable top wall under the assumption of weak compliance and without restriction on the oscillation frequency (i.e. on the Womersley number). Unlike rigid conduits, the pressure distribution is not linear with the axial coordinate. To validate this prediction, we design a polydimethylsiloxane-based experimental platform with a speaker-based flow-generation apparatus and a pressure acquisition system with multiple ports along the axial length of the channel. The experimental measurements show good agreement with the predicted pressure profiles across a wide range of the key dimensionless quantities: the Womersley number, the compliance number and the elastoviscous number. Finally, we explore how the nonlinear flow–deformation coupling leads to self-induced streaming (rectification of the oscillatory flow). Following Zhang and Rallabandi (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 996, 2024, p. A16), we develop a theory for the cycle-averaged pressure based on the primary problem’s solution, and we validate the predictions for the axial distribution of the streaming pressure against the experimental measurements.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2245343
- PAR ID:
- 10645938
- Publisher / Repository:
- Cambridge University Press
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Fluid Mechanics
- Volume:
- 1022
- ISSN:
- 0022-1120
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- A38
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- Micro-/Nano-fluid dynamics: Microfluidics Low-Reynolds-number flows: Lubrication theory Biological Fluid Dynamics: Flow-vessel interactions
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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