Clogging and Jamming Transitions in Periodic Obstacle Arrays

TL;DR

This study uses simulations to analyze how bidisperse disks clog in a periodic obstacle array, revealing probabilistic transitions influenced by packing, obstacle density, and driving direction, with size-specific clogging phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed numerical analysis of clogging transitions in a periodic obstacle array, highlighting probabilistic nature and size-specific effects.

Findings

Clogging probability increases with packing and obstacle number.

Certain driving directions are more prone to clogging.

Size-specific clogging transitions can occur.

Abstract

We numerically examine clogging transitions for bidisperse disks flowing through a two dimensional periodic obstacle array. We show that clogging is a probabilistic event that occurs through a transition from a homogeneous flowing state to a heterogeneous or phase separated jammed state where the disks form dense connected clusters. The probability for clogging to occur during a fixed time increases with increasing particle packing and obstacle number. For driving at different angles with respect to the symmetry direction of the obstacle array, we show that certain directions have a higher clogging susceptibility. It is also possible to have a size-specific clogging transition in which one disk size becomes completely immobile while the other disk size continues to flow.