In the present work, we have introduced a new method for modeling low Reynolds number motility based on the finite volume method. The code we have developed is implemented in a commercially available software (Ansys FLUENT v12.1), making it accessible and adaptable. We have validated the code in two ways: first, we compare with the analytical solution of flow around a point force (the Stokeslet); second, we compare with swimming speeds from experimental observations. Unlike previous methods which must be solved with a far-field boundary condition, our code is implemented with no-slip wall boundary conditions. In the future, we hope to expand our model further with the built-in capabilities of FLUENT, namely: parallelization, which presents the opportunity for researchers to scale-up the number of micro-swimmers studied; heat and mass transfer models within the domain to simulate chemotaxis; and the ability to implement a non-Newtonian fluid.
展开▼
