Levitation of a cylinder by a thin viscous film

When a horizontal cylinder is placed on a vertically moving belt coated with a thin layer of viscous fluid, experiments reveal that, at a specific belt velocity, the cylinder can be levitated at a fixed height while rotating around its own axis at an a priori unknown rate. We develop and solve a model for this experiment, using a combination of asymptotic analysis and direct numerical simulation. We obtain a relationship between the belt speed and cylinder rotation rate, which we successfully compare with experimental results.

Automated summary

Experiments have shown that a horizontal cylinder placed on a vertically moving belt coated with viscous fluid can levitate at a fixed height and rotate around its own axis at a specific belt velocity. By developing a model and utilizing a combination of asymptotic analysis and direct numerical simulation, researchers have successfully established a relationship between the belt speed and cylinder rotation rate, which has been validated against experimental results.