The session will focus on approaches to understand, predict, design, model and thus optimize particulate systems. Advances in numerical simulations and granular theories have the potential to improve dynamics in particulate systems (including solid/solid, solid/liquid and solid/gas). Increasing computational power and new numerical/analytical techniques from Applied Mechanics have allowed for increasingly complex particulate systems to be modeled and have set the stage for future work in such diverse areas as mixing/segregation, granulation, fluidization, and pneumatic conveying, to name but a few. Contributions in this session are concerned discrete systems using non-spherical and/or irregular particles, such as fibers, tablets, or agglomerates, and also continuous systems using finite element methods.

Solids Flow, Handling and Processing