曲がり部を有する矩形管内流れ中のバイオフィルム成長現象の数値シミュレーション

抄録

Biofilm growth in flows was numerically simulated by coupling the flow computation using the finite volume method and the biofilm growth simulation using the cellular automaton method. Biofilms were represented by porous media having permeability depending on its mass fraction. The velocity and the pressure fields were calculated with the SIMPLE scheme, and the flow of nutrients and oxygen was computed using the finite volume method. The development of mass of biofilm was computed considering the concentration of nutrients and oxygen, the growth and death of bacteria, and the stress power around biofilm. Furthermore, in the present simulation, effects of quorum sensing were considered. In the present study, the biofilm growth in a rectangular channel with corners was analyzed. The present simulation predicted the emergence of streamers, which is a thread like structure foamed by biofilm observed in experiments. The formation of streamers is relevant to both the flow and the stress power distribution around corners.