https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202124903012
Exploring shear-induced segregation in controlled-velocity granular flows
1
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
3
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO), Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
* e-mail: r-lueptow@northwestern.edu
Published online: 7 June 2021
Particle segregation in geophysical and industrial granular flows is typically driven by gravity and shear. While gravity-induced segregation is relatively well understood, shear-induced segregation is not. In particular, what controls segregation in the absence of gravity and the interplay between shearand gravity-driven segregation remain unclear. Here, we explore the shear-induced segregation force on an intruder particle in controlled-velocity granular flows where the shear profile is systematically varied. The shear-induced segregation force is found to be proportional to the shear rate gradient, which effectively pushes the large intruder from lower to higher shear rate regions. A scaling law is developed for the segregation force that is accurate over a wide range of overburden pressures and shear rates, and hence inertial numbers.
A video is available at https://doi.org/10.48448/6bkn-ps29
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2021
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
