Numerical simulations of viscoelastic particle migration in a microchannel with triangular cross-section

The migration of a spherical particle immersed in a viscoelastic liquid flowing in a microchannel with a triangular cross-section is investigated by direct numerical simulations under inertialess conditions. The viscoelastic fluid is modeled through two constitutive equations to investigate the effect of the second normal stress difference and the resulting secondary flows on the migration phenomenon. The results are presented in terms of trajectories followed by the particles released at different initial positions over the channel cross-section in a wide range of Weissenberg numbers and confinement ratios. Particles suspended in a fluid with a negligible second normal stress difference migrate toward the channel centerline or the closest wall, depending on their initial position. A much more complex dynamics is found for particles suspended in a fluid with a relevant second normal stress difference due to the appearance of secondary flows that compete with the migration phenomenon. Depending on the Weissenberg number and confinement ratio, additional equilibrium positions (points or closed orbits) may appear. In this case, the channel centerline becomes unstable and the particles are driven to the corners or “entrapped” in recirculation regions within the channel cross-section. The inversion of the centerline stability can be exploited to design efficient size-based separation devices.