Sedimentation and migration dynamics of a spherical particle in an elastoviscoplastic fluid near a wall

The sedimentation of a spherical particle in an elastoviscoplastic fluid in proximity of a flat wall is investigated by direct numerical simulations. The governing equations under inertialess conditions are solved by the finite element method with an Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian formulation to manage the particle motion. The fluid is modeled with the Giesekus constitutive equation modified as proposed by Saramito (2007). The sedimentation, migration, and angular velocities are computed as a function of the particle–wall distance for various Weissenberg and Bingham numbers. The presence of a yield stress reduces the settling velocity and reverses the migration direction as compared to the purely viscoelastic case. The effect of the confining wall on the yielded and unyielded regions around the particle is investigated. The reversed particle migration phenomenon observed in the elastoviscoplastic fluid is attributed to the different shear rate distribution around the particle due to the presence of the yielded region. The negative wake behind the particle is discussed and related to the axial component of the viscoelastic stress.