2006/03/31 by Jean-Luc Thiffeault, Matthew D. Finn · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #nlin.CD #physics.flu-dyn
paper · pdf · doi:10.1098/rsta.2006.1899
published as Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. A 364, 3251-3266 (2006) · 15 pages, 27 figures. Royal Society style (included). Final version with extra and updated references. A few typos corrected in proofs
arxiv created 2006/09/26 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01
Stirring of fluid with moving rods is necessary in many practical applications to achieve homogeneity. These rods are topological obstacles that force stretching of fluid elements. The resulting stretching and folding is commonly observed as filaments and striations, and is a precursor to mixing. In a space-time diagram, the trajectories of the rods form a braid, and the properties of this braid impose a minimal complexity in the flow. We review the topological viewpoint of fluid mixing, and discuss how braids can be used to diagnose mixing and construct efficient mixing devices. We introduce a new, realisable design for a mixing device, the silver mixer, based on these principles.