A Numerical Algorithm for Complex Biological Flow in Irregular Microdevice Geometries

We present a numerical algorithm to simulate nonNewtonian ow in complex microdevice components. The model consists of continuum viscoelastic incompressible ow in irregular microscale geometries. Our numerical approach is the projection method of Bell, Colella and Glaz (BCG) to impose the incompressibility constraint coupled with the polymeric stress splitting discretization of Trebotich, Colella and Miller (TCM). In this approach we exploit the hyperbolic structure of the equations of motion to achieve higher resolution in the presence of strong gradients and to gain an order of magnitude in the timestep. We also extend BCG and TCM to an embedded boundary method to treat irregular domain geometries which exist in microdevices. Our method allows for particle representation in a continuum uid. We present preliminary results for incompressible viscous ow with comparison to ow of DNA and simulants in microchannels and other components used in chem/bio microdevices. 1