Abstract: | A numerical method for the dynamic simulation of the hydrodynamic interaction among particles in Stokes flow is developed. The method couples the quasi-static Stokes equations for the fluid with the equilibrium equations for the particles. The boundary element method is used to represent the velocity at a general field point in terms of surface velocities and stresses. However, neither the stresses nor the velocities are assumed to be known on the surface of the particles. Kinematic equations relating the linear and angular velocities at the centroids of the particles to the surface velocities are combined with the discretized boundary element equations and the equilibrium equations to generate a system of linear equations. The associated coefficient matrix is correspondent to the grand resistance matrix which relates the velocities of the particles to a given geometry. |