Evidence of reverse and intermediate size segregation in dry granular flows down a rough incline

TL;DR

This study investigates size segregation in dry granular flows down inclined planes, revealing the existence of reverse and intermediate segregation patterns depending on bead size ratios and flow conditions, with results matching experimental observations.

Contribution

It provides a detailed numerical analysis of size segregation patterns, including reverse and intermediate segregation, in dry granular flows, extending understanding beyond previous experimental work.

Findings

Large beads reach intermediate depths or bottom depending on size ratio S.

Simulation results agree quantitatively with experimental data.

Segregation patterns depend on flow thickness and bead fraction.

Abstract

In a dry granular flow, size segregation behave differently for a mixture containing a few large beads with a size ratio (S) above 5 (Thomas, Phys.Rev.E 62,96(2000)). For moderate large S, large beads migrate to an intermediate depth in the bed: this is called intermediate segregation. For the largest S, large beads migrate to the bottom: this is called reverse segregation (in contrast with surface segregation). As the reversal and intermediate depth values depend on the bead fraction, this numerical study mainly uses a single large tracer. Small fractions are also computed showing the link between a tracer behavior and segregation process. For half-filled rotating drum and for rough incline, two and three (3D) dimensional cases are studied. In the tumbler, trajectories of a large tracer show that it reaches a constant depth during the flow. For large S, this depth is intermediate with a progressive sinking when S increases. Largest S correspond to tracers at the bottom of the flow. All 3D simulation are in quantitative agreement with the experiments. In the flow down an incline, a large tracer reaches an equilibrium depth during flow. For large S, its depth is intermediate, inside the bed. For the largest S, its depth is reverse, near the bottom. Results are slightly different for thin or thick flow. For 3D thick flows, the reversal between surface and bottom positions occurs within a short range of S: no tracer stabilizes near mid-height and two reachable intermediate depth layers exist, below the surface and above the bottom. For 3D thin flows, all intermediate depths are reachable, depending on S. The numerical study of larger tracer fractions (5-10%) shows the 3 segregation patterns (surface, intermediate, reverse) corresponding to the 3 types of equilibrium depth. The reversal is smoother than for a single tracer. It happens around S=4.5, in agreement with experiments.