A mixer design for the pigtail braid

Binder, B J; Cox, Stephen M.

Abstract

The stirring of a body of viscous fluid using multiple stirring rods is known to be particularly effective when the rods trace out a path corresponding to a nontrivial mathematical braid. The optimal braid is the so-called "pigtail braid", in which three stirring rods execute the usual "over-under" motion associated with braiding (plaiting) hair. We show how to achieve this optimal braiding motion straightforwardly: one stirring rod is driven in a figure-of-eight motion, while the other two rods are baffles, which rotate episodically about their common centre. We also explore the extent to which the physical baffles may be replaced by flow structures (such as periodic islands).

Citation

Binder, B. J., & Cox, S. M. (2008). A mixer design for the pigtail braid. Fluid Dynamics Research, 40(1), 34-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fluiddyn.2006.09.001

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 14, 2006
• Online Publication Date: Mar 6, 2009
• Publication Date: 2008-01
• Deposit Date: Oct 23, 2007
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 31, 2008
• Journal: Fluid Dynamics Research
• Print ISSN: 0169-5983
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-7005
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 40
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 34-44
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fluiddyn.2006.09.001
• Keywords: Chaotic advection, Braid, Stokes flow, Fluid mixing
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1025945
• Publisher URL: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1016/j.fluiddyn.2006.09.001