Asymmetric concentration dependence of segregation fluxes in granular flows

TL;DR

This study investigates how segregation fluxes in granular flows depend asymmetrically on local concentration, size ratio, and density ratio, revealing maximum flux at specific concentrations and validating a kinetic sieving model.

Contribution

It provides detailed characterization of concentration dependence of segregation fluxes in size and density bidisperse granular flows using DEM simulations, highlighting asymmetries and model validation.

Findings

Maximum segregation flux occurs at concentration less than 0.5

Segregation flux increases with size ratio up to 2.4 then plateaus

Segregation flux increases with density ratio up to 10

Abstract

We characterize the local concentration dependence of segregation velocity and segregation flux in both size and density bidisperse gravity-driven free-surface granular flows as a function of the particle size ratio and density ratio, respectively, using discrete element method (DEM) simulations. For a range of particle size ratios and inlet volume flow rates in size-bidisperse flows, the maximum segregation flux occurs at a small particle concentration less than 0.5, which decreases with increasing particle size ratio. The segregation flux increases up to a size ratio of 2.4 but plateaus from there to a size ratio of 3. In density bidisperse flows, the segregation flux is greatest at a heavy particle concentration less than 0.5 which decreases with increasing particle density ratio. The segregation flux increases with increasing density ratio for the extent of density ratios studied, up to 10. We further demonstrate that the simulation results for size driven segregation are in accord with the predictions of the kinetic sieving segregation model of Savage and Lun.