Well-posedness and finite element approximation of time dependent generalized bioconvective flow

We consider the finite element approximation of a time dependent generalized bioconvective flow. The underlying system of partial differential equations consists of incompressible Navier–Stokes type convection equations coupled with an equation describing the transport of micro-organisms. The viscosity of the fluid is assumed to be a function of the concentration of the micro-organisms. We show the existence and uniqueness of the weak solution of the system in two dimensions and construct numerical approximations based on the finite element method, for which we obtain error estimates. In addition, we conduct several numerical experiments to demonstrate the accuracy of the numerical method and perform simulations of the bioconvection pattern formations based on realistic model parameters to demonstrate the validity of the proposed numerical algorithm.