Effect of particle stiffness on contact dynamics and rheology in a dense granular flow

Rheology of nonconvex granular flows based on particle rotational characteristics

Particle shape has a profound impact on the flow behaviors of granular materials, yet effectively incorporating the role of particle shape into granular rheology remains challenging. In this study, we employ three representative types of nonconvex particles generated through the multisphere approach and identify a consistent one-to-one relationship between the rescaled friction coefficient and the inertial number I across both inertial and quasistatic flow regimes. However, variations in particle shape cause notable deviations in rheological data compared to their spherical counterparts. Based on the observed dependence of rheological data on I for various nonconvex particles and their convergence at high I, we propose an inertial number I_{s} to effectively capture the impact of particle shape on flow states. The model parameters defining I_{s} are shown to be nearly independent of flow states and configurations, with physical interpretations related to particle rotational characteristics during shear. For practical application, we propose an empirical formula to capture the dependence of model parameters on particle geometrical shapes. The robustness of the proposed model is validated by predicting flow in an inclined flow configuration and applying it to additional nonconvex particles with more irregular and asymmetric features. This establishes a crucial foundation for extending the application of this generalized rheological model to other complex granular flows.

Flows of cohesive granular media

Cohesive granular media have broad applications in industries. However, our understanding of their flow behavior is still limited compared to dry granular media, although rich knowledge about their static and plastic properties has been gained. In this paper, we provide some insights into the flow behavior of cohesive granular media from our recent numerical studies using an inclined plane and a plane shear cell. We evidence that the cohesive nature of flows is significantly affected by material properties of the particles like stiffness and inelasticity in addition to the inter-particle adhesion and introduce the concept of “effective” adhesion, which incorporates the effects of these three variables. We propose constitutive relations involving dimensionless inertial number and “effective” cohesion number, based on the “effective” adhesion to describe the rheology. We also show that increasing adhesion increases the hysteresis in granular media, evidencing the existence of a prominent shear weakening branch in the friction coefficient versus inertial number rheological curve. Moreover, we reveal that this increasing hysteresis gives rise to the increasing occurrence of shear banding instability, pointing to the increasing possibility of jamming in cohesive granular media. Finally, we present a promising experimental approach to investigate the flow behavior of cohesive granular materials, based on a simple method of preparing a long time stable medium with a controlled adhesion between particles.

Velocity scaling in the region of orifice influence in silo draining under gravity

This study utilizes computations based on a soft-particle discrete element method for investigating the scaling of velocity in the region of orifice influence situated directly above and in proximity to the outlet in a two-dimensional silo. The velocity at the exit scales with the outlet size (D), in striking agreement with the earlier studies. However, the scaling of velocity upstream of the outlet with D as the length scale does not exist. Consequently, we present a scaling with a length parameter h_{e} being the height of an equi-inertial curve, which is defined to be a curve on which the inertial number is constant, thereby consolidating the coexisting different flow regimes in a discharging silo. The velocity corresponding to an equi-inertial curve, when measured relative to the velocity at the outlet, scales very well with h_{e} for low inertial numbers belonging to the dense flow regime. However, such scaling does not hold for high inertial numbers corresponding to the rapid flow regime in the region located closer to the orifice. We tie this scaling breakdown to the velocity fluctuations in light of the similarity between the profiles of scaled relative velocity and the scaled kinetic pressure, suggesting h_{e} to be a promising candidate for unifying the kinematics of granular flow near the outlet in the silo.

Insights into the rheology of cohesive granular media

An uninterrupted flow of powders is the key to smooth production operations of many industries. However, powders have more difficulty flowing than coarse, granular media like sand because of the interparticle cohesive interactions. What precisely controls the “flowability” of powders remains unclear. Here, we address this issue by performing numerical simulations of the flow of cohesive grains. We show that the cohesiveness during flow is not only controlled by the interparticle adhesion, but also by the stiffness and inelasticity of the grains. For the same adhesion, stiffer and less dissipative grains yield a less cohesive flow, i.e., higher “flowability.” This combined effect can be embedded in a single dimensionless number—a result that enriches our understanding of powder rheology.

Characterization and prediction of the “flowability” of powders are of paramount importance in many industries. However, our understanding of the flow of powders like cement or flour is sparse compared to the flow of coarse, granular media like sand. The main difficulty arises because of the presence of adhesive forces between the grains, preventing smooth and continuous flows. Several tests are used in industrial contexts to probe and quantify the “flowability” of powders. However, they remain empirical and would benefit from a detailed study of the physics controlling flow dynamics. Here, we attempt to fill the gap by performing intensive discrete numerical simulations of cohesive grains flowing down an inclined plane. We show that, contrary to what is commonly perceived, the cohesive nature of the flow is not entirely controlled by the interparticle adhesion, but that stiffness and inelasticity of the grains also play a significant role. For the same adhesion, stiffer and less dissipative grains yield a less cohesive flow. This observation is rationalized by introducing the concept of a dynamic, “effective” adhesive force, a single parameter, which combines the effects of adhesion, elasticity, and dissipation. Based on this concept, a rheological description of the flow is proposed for the cohesive grains. Our results elucidate the physics controlling the flow of cohesive granular materials, which may help in designing new approaches to characterize the “flowability” of powders.