Fluid/solid interface processes on nanoscale

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Dimitris Drikakis

University of Strathclyde, UK

: J Pharm Drug Deliv Res

Abstract

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The paper concerns processes at fluid/solid interfaces, which can lead to the design of new materials that meet specifications with regard to flow velocity, thermal conductivity and shear viscosity. In particular, the talk will focus on the effects of surface roughness on nanoflows. A fractal model is employed to model wall roughness, and molecular simulations are performed for liquid argon confined by two solid walls. It is shown that the surface roughness reduces the velocity in the proximity of the walls with the reduction being accentuated when increasing the roughness depth and wettability of the solid wall. It also makes the flow three-dimensional and anisotropic. In flows over idealized smooth surfaces, the liquid forms parallel, well-spaced layers, with a significant gap between the first layer and the solid wall. Rough walls distort the orderly distribution of fluid layers resulting in an incoherent formation of irregularly shaped fluid structures around and within the wall cavities. Furthermore, we show that while the viscosity in smooth channels remains constant across the channel width, in the presence of surface roughness it increases close to the walls. The increase of the boundary viscosity is further accentuated by an increase in the depth of surface roughness.

Biography

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Dimitris Drikakis is Professor of Engineering Science and has been the Executive Dean (Engineering) and Associate Principal and at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow since July 2017, and in addition to his continued Professorial role, he has taken on new leadership roles as Executive Director of Global University Partnerships (USA and Far East), Executive Director of the Strathclyde Space Institute. He was previously Head of the Institute of Aerospace Sciences and Director of Research of the School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing at Cranfield University. Prior to his position at Cranfield University, he held positions at Queen Mary University of London, the University of Manchester and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. To date, he has co-authored two books and has published about 400 papers in the above technical areas.

E-mail: e: dimitris.drikakis@strath.ac.uk