Increasing granular flow rate with obstructions

We describe a simple experiment involving spheres rolling down an inclined plane towards a bottleneck and through a gap. Results of the experiment indicate that flow rate can be increased by placing an obstruction at optimal positions near the bottleneck. We use the experiment to develop a computer simulation using the PhysX physics engine. Simulations confirm the experimental results and we state several considerations necessary to obtain a model that agrees well with experiment. We demonstrate that the model exhibits clogging, intermittent and continuous flow, and that it can be used as a tool for further investigations in granular flow.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

The critical-state yield stress (termination locus) of adhesive powders from a single numerical experiment

Dry granular materials in a split-bottom ring shear cell geometry show wide shear bands under slow, quasi-static, large deformation. This system is studied in the presence of contact adhesion, using the discrete element method (DEM). Several continuum fields like the density, the deformation gradient and the stress tensor are computed locally and are analyzed with the goal to formulate objective constitutive relations for the flow behavior of cohesive powders. From a single simulation only, by applying time- and (local) space-averaging, and focusing on the regions of the system that experienced considerable deformations, the critical-state yield stress (termination locus) can be obtained. It is close to linear, for non-cohesive granular materials, and nonlinear with peculiar pressure dependence, for adhesive powders—due to the nonlinear dependence of the contact adhesion on the confining forces. The contact model is simplified and possibly will need refinements and additional effects in order to resemble realistic powders. However, the promising method of how to obtain a critical-state yield stress from a single numerical test of one material is generally applicable and waits for calibration and validation

How to get the yield locus of an adhesive powder from a single numerical experiment

Granular materials in a split-bottom ring shear cell geometry show wide shear bands under slow, quasi-static deformation. From discrete element simulations (DEM), several continuum fields like the deformation gradient and stress are computed and evaluated with the goal to formulate objective constitutive relations for the flow behavior. From a single simulation only, by applying time- and (local) space-averaging, yield loci can be obtained: linear for non-cohesive granular materials and non-linear with peculiar pressure dependence for adhesive powders. While the contact model will possibly need additional effects to be included in order to resemble realistic powders, the method how to obtain yield loci from a single numerical test on one material appears very promising and waits for calibration and validation

Calibration of DEM simulation: unconfined compressive test and Brazilian tensile test

We simulate rock fracture using ESyS-Particle, which is a 3-D Discrete Element Model developed for modeling geological materials. Two types of simulations are carried out: Unconfined Compressive Test (UCT) and Brazilian Tensile Test (BTT). The results are compared to laboratory tests. Model parameters are determined on the basis of theoretical studies on the elastic properties of regular lattices and dimensionless analysis. The fracture patterns and realistic macroscopic strength are well reproduced. Also the ratio of the macroscopic strength of compression to the tensile strength is obtained numericall