Elasto-plastic flow of a foam around an obstacle

Abstract

We simulate quasistatic flows of an ideal two-dimensional monodisperse foam around different obstacles, both symmetric and asymmetric, in a channel. We record both pressure and network contributions to the drag and lift forces, and study them as a function of obstacle geometry. We show that the drag force increases linearly with the cross section of an obstacles. The lift on an asymmetric aerofoil-like shape is negative and increases with its arc length, mainly due to the pressure contribution.