Journal of Fluid Mechanics

Research from The University of Osaka highlights a new model of a gyroscopic wave energy converter. The device was shown to be capable of absorbing up to half of incoming wave energy across a wide range of frequencies, meaning it could achieve the theoretical maximum efficiency. These results provide important design insights for more efficient and adaptable wave energy technologies.

A joint team has uncovered how soft, deformable particles, like cells, behave in microfluidic channels. Using precisely fabricated hydrogel particles and simulations on the supercomputer "Fugaku," they demonstrated that particle softness dramatically alters their focusing patterns, deviating significantly from rigid particle behavior. These findings reveal distinct "phase transitions" in focusing, shifting from mid-edge to eight-point, diagonal-edge, and finally center focusing as deformability increases. This breakthrough, explained by a new theoretical model incorporating inertia and deformability, offers crucial insights for designing next-generation microfluidic devices for highly efficient cell sorting and other biomedical applications like early cancer detection. The ability to control particle focusing based on deformability opens exciting possibilities for advanced particle manipulation and separation technologies.