Optimal swimmers can be pullers, pushers or neutral depending on the shape

Daddi-Moussa-Ider, Abdallah; Nasouri, Babak; Vilfan, Andrej; Golestanian, Ramin

doi:10.1017/jfm.2021.562

Cited by 19 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Both findings are in agreement with the literature reporting the shape dependence of the efficiency (Daddi-Moussa-Ider et al. 2021), and the increase in efficiency with increased eccentricity (Guo et al. 2021).…”

Section: Figure 10supporting

confidence: 93%

The effect of particle geometry on squirming in a heterogeneous medium

Demir,

van Gogh,

Palaniappan

et al. 2024

J. Fluid Mech.

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Biological microorganisms and artificial micro-swimmers often locomote in heterogeneous viscous environments consisting of networks of obstacles embedded into viscous fluid media. In this work, we use the squirmer model and present a numerical investigation of the effects of shape on swimming in a heterogeneous medium. Specifically, we analyse the microorganism's propulsion speed as well as its energetic cost and swimming efficiency. The analysis allows us to probe the general characteristics of swimming in a heterogeneous viscous environment in comparison with the case of a purely viscous fluid. We found that a spheroidal microorganism always propels faster, expends less energy and is more efficient than a spherical microorganism in either a homogeneous fluid or a heterogeneous medium. Moreover, we determined that above a critical eccentricity, a spheroidal microorganism in a heterogeneous medium can swim faster than a spherical microorganism in a homogeneous fluid. Based on an analysis of the forces acting on the squirmer, we offer an explanation for the decrease in the squirmer's speed observed in heterogeneous media compared with homogeneous fluids.

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Section: Figure 10supporting

confidence: 93%

The effect of particle geometry on squirming in a heterogeneous medium

Demir,

van Gogh,

Palaniappan

et al. 2024

J. Fluid Mech.

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show abstract

“…The resulting additional normal stress produces noticeable deformation at the frontal/equatorial region. Our results also validate the predictions of Daddi-Moussa-Ider et al 81 and Nasouri et al 82 that for swimmers with the front-end deformation, the puller mode is optimal. Whereas, for swimmers with rear-end deformation, the pusher mode is optimal.…”

Section: (C) and Movie S1 Esi †)supporting

confidence: 89%

Deforming active droplets in viscoelastic solutions

et al. 2023

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“…Taken together, the results here demonstrate the advantages of spheroidal over spherical swimmers in terms of locomotion performance in a shear-thinning fluid, which call for comparisons with future experiments with biological and artificial microswimmers. Recent studies have shed light on optimal swimming of non-spherical swimmers in a Newtonian fluid (Guo et al 2021;Daddi-Moussa-Ider et al 2021). The findings here suggest the possibility and hence opportunity of fine-tuning the swimmer geometry to better exploit non-Newtonian rheological behaviours for more effective locomotion in complex fluids.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

“…2021; Daddi-Moussa-Ider et al. 2021). The findings here suggest the possibility and hence opportunity of fine-tuning the swimmer geometry to better exploit non-Newtonian rheological behaviours for more effective locomotion in complex fluids.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of particle geometry on squirming through a shear-thinning fluid

et al. 2022

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Biological and artificial microswimmers often encounter fluid media with non-Newtonian rheological properties. In particular, many biological fluids such as blood and mucus are shear-thinning. Recent studies have demonstrated how shear-thinning rheology can impact substantially the propulsion performance in different manners. In this work, we examine the effect of geometrical shape upon locomotion in a shear-thinning fluid using a prolate spheroidal squirmer model. We use a combination of asymptotic analysis and numerical simulations to quantify how particle geometry impacts the speed and the energetic cost of swimming. The results demonstrate the advantages of spheroidal over spherical swimmers in terms of both swimming speed and energetic efficiency when squirming through a shear-thinning fluid. More generally, the findings suggest the possibility of tuning the swimmer geometry to better exploit non-Newtonian rheological behaviours for more effective locomotion in complex fluids.

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Optimal swimmers can be pullers, pushers or neutral depending on the shape

Abstract: Abstract

Cited by 19 publications

References 40 publications

The effect of particle geometry on squirming in a heterogeneous medium

The effect of particle geometry on squirming in a heterogeneous medium

Deforming active droplets in viscoelastic solutions

The effect of particle geometry on squirming through a shear-thinning fluid

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