Preliminary Numerical Simulations of the Flow of Frictional-Cohesive Granular Materials through Bins
Mohamed Sayed, Canadian Hydraulics Centre, National Research Council, 1200 Montreal Road, Bldg. M-32, Room 318, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada

The paper reports on preliminary results from numerical simulations of the flow of cohesive granular materials through bins. The properties of the bulk material are assumed to follow a Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion. The model employs a Particle-In-Cell (PIC) advection scheme, and an explicit finite difference solution of the governing equations. The results for frictional cohesionless materials display the commonly observed features of the funnel flow regime. Examples of the distribution of solids volume fraction, pressure and velocity are presented. Introducing cohesion is found to reduce the flow rate. The exit velocity decreases with increasing value of the cohesion. When a sufficiently large value of cohesion is used, the aperture is blocked, and the flow stops.

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Selected Topics in Particulate Handling, Processing and Granular Systems

The Preliminary Program for 2006 Spring National Meeting