Numerical simulation of particle motion in viscoelastic fluids

A numerical method for computing motions of large numbers of particles (particle mover) in flows of solid-liquid (viscoelastic) mixtures was developed. In the method the fully coupled motions of liquid and solid are solved using a finite element technique, and solid particles move under the action of the hydrodynamic forces and moments exerted by the suspending fluid. The developed package is able to simulate the motion of particles in several popular models of non-Newtonian viscoelastic fluids. This package was used to study the mechanisms of chaining of sedimenting particles in a viscoelastic fluid and detachment of the particles from the chain.