Mixing in Stokes flow in an annular wedge cavity

The paper addresses a new approach for investigating and evaluating the basic properties of distributive laminar mixing in two-dimensional creeping flows by analysing a periodic Stokes how in an annular wedge cavity. Flow is induced by the repetitive motion of the curved top and bottom walls, with prescribed velocities. An analytical solution for the velocity field in the cavity is presented, along with the algorithm for line tracking, which conserves the topological properties of any closed contour. A technique for finding all periodic points in the flow, and quantitative measures for the estimation of the mixing quality at any instant, are derived and applied to the flow in the wedge cavity. (C) 1999 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.