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arXiv · 2511.22007

Droplet mobilization in actuated deformable tubes

Sthavishtha R. Bhopalam·Ruben Juanes·Hector Gomez
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Abstract

We study the mobilization of an oil droplet in a deformable, actuated constricted tube subjected to two different actuation mechanisms: hydrodynamic actuation (oscillatory body force in the fluid) and dynamic wall actuation (oscillatory traction on the tube walls). Using high-resolution fluid-structure interaction simulations, we analyze the effects of actuation frequency and amplitude on droplet transport through the constriction. Our simulations show that hydrodynamic actuation leads to a monotonic increase in the droplet's mobilization time with increasing actuation frequency, and a decrease with increasing actuation amplitude. In contrast, dynamic wall actuation exhibits a resonance effect-the mobilization time reaches a minimum at a frequency near the tube's resonant frequency. Our study highlights the potential of actuation mechanisms in deformable tubes for precise control of droplet transport in bio-microfluidic applications.

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Sthavishtha R. Bhopalam, Ruben Juanes, Hector Gomez. 2025-11-27. Droplet mobilization in actuated deformable tubes. https://doi.org/10.1103/rbhz-c4mr

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