Sedimentation of small particles in liquid

Sedimentation of small particles in liquid

The sedimentation (1) of particles is found in a variety of natural and biological phenomena such as the flow of sediment in rivers, fall of rain droplets and dust particles in atmosphere, and sedimentation of red blood cells. It is also one of the oldest engineering processes used to clarify liquid as well as to separate particles of different sizes and densities. Even though it is a long-standing problem, the sedimentation of particles at low Reynolds number remains not completely understood. The project deals with the sedimentation of small particles and will answer the following questions:

* How does the sedimentation rate depend on parameters of particles (particle size, shape, density and concentration)?

* What is a role of flow boundary conditions?

* How does the sedimentation occur in polymer solution?

* Is there any effect of vibration on the sedimentation rate?

Some previous programming experience will be usefull.

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedimentation