Biofluid Mechanics

The Lecture

Why do elephants live longer than mice? How does the locomotion of eels and tuna differ? Why have microorganisms developed a different movement mechanism than larger creatures? The lecture Biofluid Mechanics deals with the modelling of processes in nature. We use continuum mechanics and physico-chemical models and deal with scaling laws in nature. From a fluid mechanics point of view, we deal with viscosity- and inertia-dominated external and internal flows.

Organisational matters

TUCan 16-10-5230-vl Biofluid Mechanics
Course Master 4CP – Wahlpflichtbereich III
Semester winter
Lecturer Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Pelz / Dr.-Ing. John Friesen
Examination summer: oral
winter: oral
Contact Dr.-Ing. John Friesen
Consultation-hours by arrangement
  • Movement of microorganisms
  • Why do microorganisms move?
  • Linearity of the equations of motion
  • Superposition
  • Propulsion matrix
  • Froudian efficiency
  • Motion of a slender fish
  • Added mass
  • Energy balance
  • Energetically optimal motion
  • Peristalsis at small and large Reynolds numbers
  • Formation of vortices
  • Electroosmotic flows

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