Unsteady fluid-structure interactions in a soft-walled microchannel: A one-dimensional lubrication model for finite Reynolds number

Abstract

What happens when a fluid is pumped into a soft microchannel with height as small as the diameter of a human hair? The microchannel inflates under the flow pressure, while the flow within is affected by the resistance of the wall to deformation. We develop a mathematical model and simulate the ensuing fluid--structure interaction. Even after complex oscillations of the channel wall, we show that the final inflated state is stable. Our model highlights the parameter sets that determine the steady state wall deformation and hydrodynamic pressure distribution across a wide range of systems.

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