PERISTALTIC FLOW AND HYDRODYNAMIC DISPERSION OF A REACTIVE MICROPOLAR FLUID-SIMULATION OF CHEMICAL EFFECTS IN THE DIGESTIVE PROCESS

Abstract

The hydrodynamic dispersion of a solute in peristaltic flow of a reactive incompressible micropolar biofluid is studied as a model of chyme transport in the human intestinal system with wall effects. The long wavelength approximation, Taylor's limiting condition and dynamic boundary conditions at the flexible walls are used to obtain the average effective dispersion coefficient in the presence of combined homogeneous and heterogeneous chemical reactions. The effects of various pertinent parameters on the effective dispersion coefficient are discussed. It is observed that average effective dispersion coefficient increases with amplitude ratio which implies that dispersion is enhanced in the presence of peristalsis. Furthermore, average effective dispersion coefficient is also elevated with the micropolar rheological and wall parameters. Conversely dispersion is found to decrease with cross viscosity coefficient, homogeneous and heterogeneous chemical reaction rates. The present simulations provide an important benchmark for future chemo-fluid-structure interaction (FSI) computational models.