Flow past an array of cells that are adherent to the bottom plate of a flow channel (Q1369543)

We determine the flow forces on model biological cells adhering to the bottom plate of a flow channel. Cell shapes used in the computations capture essential morphological parameters of adherent cells, such as their elongation in the direction of flow. An iterative finite-difference scheme is used to solve for flow past a regularly-repeating array of cells that are adherent to the bottom plate of a parallel-plate flow channel. The assumption of periodicity in the spatial distribution of adherent cells enables us to restrict the computations to a finite domain. The results indicate that the fluid force and the fluid moment acting on a cell adherent to a planar boundary decrease with the increasing extent of cell spreading and with decreasing cell-cell distance.