A continuum constitutive model for cohesionless granular flows

Richard C. Daniel, Adam P. Poloski, A. Eduardo Sáez

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

A constitutive model is developed to represent shear granular flows of cohesionless solids. The model is based on the postulate that the friction coefficient and the solids fraction in a moving granular material are exclusive functions of the inertial number, which represents the ratio of inertial to normal stress forces. The constitutive equation obtained has the same form as a multidimensional Bingham fluid model, albeit with apparent viscosity and yield stress that depend on the vertical normal stress. The model is applied to previously published experimental results dealing with shear flows of granular beds made up of cohesionless spherical particles. The first case analyzed corresponds to a granular bed moving on top of a rotating disk. The model captures the main trends of the velocity profiles with a single adjustable parameter. The second case is a conventional Couette flow, for which the model is capable of representing the velocity and solids fraction profiles measured experimentally.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1343-1350
Number of pages8
JournalChemical Engineering Science
Volume62
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2007

Keywords

  • Constitutive equation
  • Granular materials
  • Rheology
  • Shear flow

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • General Chemical Engineering
  • Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

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