94 research outputs found
Reducing the variability between constant-depth film fermenter experiments when modelling oral biofilm
Entropy maximization in the force network ensemble for granular solids
A long-standing issue in the area of granular media is the tail of the force
distribution, in particular whether this is exponential, Gaussian, or even some
other form. Here we resolve the issue for the case of the force network
ensemble in two dimensions. We demonstrate that conservation of the total area
of a reciprocal tiling, a direct consequence of local force balance, is crucial
for predicting the local stress distribution. Maximizing entropy while
conserving the tiling area and total pressure leads to a distribution of local
pressures with a generically Gaussian tail that is in excellent agreement with
numerics, both with and without friction and for two different contact
networks.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Stress response function of a two-dimensional ordered packing of frictional beads
We study the stress profile of an ordered two-dimensional packing of beads in
response to the application of a vertical overload localized at its top
surface. Disorder is introduced through the Coulombic friction between the
grains which gives some indeterminacy and allows the choice of one constrained
random number per grain in the calculation of the contact forces. The so-called
`multi-agent' technique we use, lets us deal with systems as large as
grains. We show that the average response profile has a double
peaked structure. At large depth , the position of these peaks grows with
, while their widths scales like . and are analogous to
`propagation' and `diffusion' coefficients. Their values depend on that of the
friction coefficient . At small , we get and , with , which means that the peaks get
closer and wider as the disorder gets larger. This behavior is qualitatively
what was predicted in a model where a stochastic relation between the stress
components is assumed.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, accepted version to Europhys. Let
Geometric origin of mechanical properties of granular materials
Some remarkable generic properties, related to isostaticity and potential
energy minimization, of equilibrium configurations of assemblies of rigid,
frictionless grains are studied. Isostaticity -the uniqueness of the forces,
once the list of contacts is known- is established in a quite general context,
and the important distinction between isostatic problems under given external
loads and isostatic (rigid) structures is presented. Complete rigidity is only
guaranteed, on stability grounds, in the case of spherical cohesionless grains.
Otherwise, the network of contacts might deform elastically in response to load
increments, even though grains are rigid. This sets an uuper bound on the
contact coordination number. The approximation of small displacements (ASD)
allows to draw analogies with other model systems studied in statistical
mechanics, such as minimum paths on a lattice. It also entails the uniqueness
of the equilibrium state (the list of contacts itself is geometrically
determined) for cohesionless grains, and thus the absence of plastic
dissipation. Plasticity and hysteresis are due to the lack of such uniqueness
and may stem, apart from intergranular friction, from small, but finite,
rearrangements, in which the system jumps between two distinct potential energy
minima, or from bounded tensile contact forces. The response to load increments
is discussed. On the basis of past numerical studies, we argue that, if the ASD
is valid, the macroscopic displacement field is the solution to an elliptic
boundary value problem (akin to the Stokes problem).Comment: RevTex, 40 pages, 26 figures. Close to published paper. Misprints and
minor errors correcte
A longitudinal study on determinants of the intention to start smoking among Non-smoking boys and girls of high and low socioeconomic status
A Network Model for Diffusion in Media with Partially Resolvable Pore Space Characteristics
Rowe's stress-dilatancy relation based on friction
Rowe proposed a stress–dilatancy relation for granular assemblies in a dense packing of the form Ė=tan2(¼π+½φμ). He used a minimum energy ratio principle to develop this relation. It is shown here that the same result is obtained by considering the same model of toothed separation planes as that treated by Rowe, and applying to that model the laws of friction only
Statics and kinematics in the failable zone of a granular material
Civil Engineering and Geoscience
- …