Assessing continuum postulates in simulations of granular flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rycroft, Chris; Kamrin, Ken; Bazant, Martin

2008-08-26

Continuum mechanics relies on the fundamental notion of a mesoscopic volume"element" in which properties averaged over discrete particles obey deterministic relationships. Recent work on granular materials suggests a continuum law may be inapplicable, revealing inhomogeneities at the particle level, such as force chains and slow cage breaking. Here, we analyze large-scale three-dimensional Discrete-Element Method (DEM) simulations of different granular flows and show that an approximate"granular element" defined at the scale of observed dynamical correlations (roughly three to five particle diameters) has a reasonable continuum interpretation. By viewing all the simulations as an ensemble of granular elements which deform and move with the flow, we can track material evolution at a local level. Our results confirm some of the hypotheses of classical plasticity theory while contradicting others and suggest a subtle physical picture of granular failure, combining liquid-like dependence on deformation rate and solid-like dependence on strain. Our computational methods and results can be used to guide the development of more realistic continuum models, based on observed local relationships betweenaverage variables.

International Workshop on Traffic and Granular Flow

CERN Document Server

Herrmann, Hans; Schreckenberg, Michael; Wolf, Dietrich; Social, Traffic and Granular Dynamics

2000-01-01

"Are there common phenomena and laws in the dynamic behavior of granular materials, traffic, and socio-economic systems?" The answers given at the international workshop "Traffic and Granular Flow '99" are presented in this volume. From a physical standpoint, all these systems can be treated as (self)-driven many-particle systems with strong fluctuations, showing multistability, phase transitions, non-linear waves, etc. The great interest in these systems is due to several unexpected new discoveries and their practical relevance for solving some fundamental problems of today's societies. This includes intelligent measures for traffic flow optimization and methods from "econophysics" for stabilizing (stock) markets.

Blurring the boundary between rapid granular flow and dense granular flow regimes: Evidence from DEM simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Tripathi, Anurag; Prasad, Mahesh; Kumar, Puneet

2017-11-01

The saturation of the effective friction coefficient for granular flows at high inertial numbers has been assumed widely by researchers, despite little simulation/experimental evidence. In contrast, a recent simulation study of plane shear flows by Mandal and Khakhar, suggests that the effective friction coefficient becomes maximum and then starts to decrease with increase in the inertial number for I > 0.5 . In order to investigate whether such a dip at higher inertial numbers is indeed a feature of granular rheology, we perform DEM simulations of chute flow of highly inelastic disks. We show that steady, fully developed flows are possible at inclinations much higher than those normally reported in literature. At such high inclinations, the flow is characterised by a significant slip at the base; the height of the layer increases by more than 300 % and kinetic energy of the layer increases by nearly 5 orders of magnitude. We observe, for the first time, steady chute flows at inertial number I 2 and show that the dip at higher inertial numbers can be observed in case of chute flow as well. The predictions of modified μ - I rheology, however, seem to remain valid in the bulk of the layer for packing fractions as low as 0.2. AT acknowledges the funding obtained from IIT Kanpur through the initiation Grant for this study.

Physical modelling of granular flows at multiple-scales and stress levels

Science.gov (United States)

Take, Andy; Bowman, Elisabeth; Bryant, Sarah

2015-04-01

The rheology of dry granular flows is an area of significant focus within the granular physics, geoscience, and geotechnical engineering research communities. Studies performed to better understand granular flows in manufacturing, materials processing or bulk handling applications have typically focused on the behavior of steady, continuous flows. As a result, much of the research on relating the fundamental interaction of particles to the rheological or constitutive behaviour of granular flows has been performed under (usually) steady-state conditions and low stress levels. However, landslides, which are the primary focus of the geoscience and geotechnical engineering communities, are by nature unsteady flows defined by a finite source volume and at flow depths much larger than typically possible in laboratory experiments. The objective of this paper is to report initial findings of experimental studies currently being conducted using a new large-scale landslide flume (8 m long, 2 m wide slope inclined at 30° with a 35 m long horizontal base section) and at elevated particle self-weight in a 10 m diameter geotechnical centrifuge to investigate the granular flow behavior at multiple-scales and stress levels. The transparent sidewalls of the two flumes used in the experimental investigation permit the combination of observations of particle-scale interaction (using high-speed imaging through transparent vertical sidewalls at over 1000 frames per second) with observations of the distal reach of the landslide debris. These observations are used to investigate the applicability of rheological models developed for steady state flows (e.g. the dimensionless inertial number) in landslide applications and the robustness of depth-averaged approaches to modelling dry granular flow at multiple scales. These observations indicate that the dimensionless inertial number calculated for the flow may be of limited utility except perhaps to define a general state (e.g. liquid

Experimental and analytical investigations of granular materials: Shear flow and convective heat transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Hojin

1989-12-01

Granular materials flowing down an inclined chute were studied experimentally and analytically. Characteristics of convective heat transfer to granular flows were also investigated experimentally and numerically. Experiments on continuous, steady flows of granular materials in an inclined chute were conducted with the objectives of understanding the characteristics of chute flows and of acquiring information on the rheological behavior of granular material flow. Existing constitutive equations and governing equations were used to solve for fully developed chute flows of granular materials, and thus the boundary value problem was formulated with two parameters (the coefficient of restitution between particles, and the chute inclination) and three boundary values at the chute base wall (the values of solid fraction, granular temperature, and mean velocity at the wall). The boundary value problem was numerically solved by the shooting method. These analytical results were also compared with the present experimental values and with the computer simulations by other investigators in their literature. Experiments on heat transfer to granular flows over a flat heating plate were conducted with three sizes of glass beads, polystyrene beads, and mustard seeds. A modification on the existing model for the convective heat transfer was made using the effective Nusselt number and the effective Peclet number, which include the effects of solid fraction variations. The slightly modified model could describe the heat transfer characteristics of both fast and slow flows (supercritical and subcritical). A numerical analysis of the transfer to granular flows was also performed. The results were compared with the present experimental data, and reasonable agreement was found in the comparison.

Measurements of granular flow dynamics with high speed digital images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jingeol [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

1994-01-01

The flow of granular materials is common to many industrial processes. This dissertation suggests and validates image processing algorithms applied to high speed digital images to measure the dynamics (velocity, temperature and volume fraction) of dry granular solids flowing down an inclined chute under the action of gravity. Glass and acrylic particles have been used as granular solids in the experiment. One technique utilizes block matching for spatially averaged velocity measurements of the glass particles. This technique is compared with the velocity measurement using an optic probe which is a conventional granular flow velocity measurement device. The other technique for measuring the velocities of individual acrylic particles is developed with correspondence using a Hopfield network. This technique first locates the positions of particles with pattern recognition techniques, followed by a clustering technique, which produces point patterns. Also, several techniques are compared for particle recognition: synthetic discriminant function (SDF), minimum average correlation energy (MACE) filter, modified minimum average correlation energy (MMACE) filter and variance normalized correlation. The author proposes an MMACE filter which improves generalization of the MACE filter by adjusting the amount of averaged spectrum of training images in the spectrum whitening stages of the MACE filter. Variance normalized correlation is applied to measure the velocity and temperature of flowing glass particles down the inclined chute. The measurements are taken for the steady and wavy flow and qualitatively compared with a theoretical model of granular flow.

Bedrock erosion by sliding wear in channelized granular flow

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, C. Y.; Stark, C. P.; Capart, H.; Smith, B.; Maia, H. T.; Li, L.; Reitz, M. D.

2014-12-01

Boundary forces generated by debris flows can be powerful enough to erode bedrock and cause considerable damage to infrastructure during runout. Bedrock wear can be separated into impact and sliding wear processes. Here we focus on sliding wear. We have conducted experiments with a 40-cm-diameter grainflow-generating rotating drum designed to simulate dry channelized debris flows. To generate sliding erosion, we placed a 20-cm-diameter bedrock plate axially on the back wall of the drum. The rotating drum was half filled with 2.3-mm-diameter grains, which formed a thin grain-avalanching layer with peak flow speed and depth close to the drum axis. The whole experimental apparatus was placed on a 100g-ton geotechnical centrifuge and, in order to scale up the stress level, spun to a range of effective gravity levels. Rates and patterns of erosion of the bedrock plate were mapped after each experiment using 3d micro-photogrammetry. High-speed video and particle tracking were employed to measure granular flow dynamics. The resulting data for granular velocities and flow geometry were used to estimate impulse exchanges and forces on the bedrock plate. To address some of the complexities of granular flow under variable gravity levels, we developed a continuum model framed around a GDR MiDi rheology. This model allowed us to scale up boundary forcing while maintaining the same granular flow regime, and helped us to understand important aspects of the flow dynamics including e.g. fluxes of momentum and kinetic energy. In order to understand the detailed processes of boundary forcing, we performed numerical simulations with a new contact dynamics model. This model confirmed key aspects of our continuum model and provided information on second-order behavior such as fluctuations in the forces acting on the wall. By combining these measurements and theoretical analyses, we have developed and calibrated a constitutive model for sliding wear that is a threshold function of

Granular flow through an aperture: influence of the packing fraction

OpenAIRE

Alejandra Aguirre , Maria; De Schant , Rosario; Géminard , Jean-Christophe

2014-01-01

For the last 50 years, the flow of a granular material through an aperture has been intensely studied in gravity-driven vertical systems (e.g. silos and hoppers). Nevertheless, in many industrial applications, grains are horizontally transported at constant velocity, lying on conveyor belts or floating on the surface of flowing liquids. Unlike fluid flows, that are controlled by the pressure, granular flow is not sensitive to the local pressure but rather to the local velocity of the grains a...

Lift on side by side intruders of various geometries within a granular flow

Science.gov (United States)

Acevedo-Escalante, M. F.; Caballero-Robledo, G. A.

2017-06-01

Obstacles within fluids have been widely used in engineering and in physics to study hydrodynamic interactions. In granular matter, objects within a granular flow have helped to understand fundamental features of drag and lift forces. In our group, we have studied numerically the flow mediated interaction between two static disks within a vertical granular flow in a two-dimensional container where the flow velocity and the distance between obstacles were varied. Attractive and repulsive forces were found depending on flow velocity and separation between intruders. The simulations evidenced a relationship between the average flow velocity in a specific section ahead of the obstacles and the attractive-repulsive lift. On the other hand, it was showed that the lift force on an object dragged within a granular medium depends on the shape of the intruder. Here we present experimental results of the interaction between two side-by-side intruders of different shapes within a vertical granular flow. We built a quasi-two-dimensional container in which we placed the intruders and using load cells we measured lift and drag forces during the discharge process for different flow velocities.

Experimental and numerical study of granular flow characteristics of absorber sphere pneumatic conveying process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang He; Li Tianjin; Qi Weiwei; Huang Zhiyong; Bo Hanliang

2014-01-01

Absorber sphere pneumatic conveying system is the main part of absorber sphere shutdown system and closely related to granular flow. Granular flow characteristics, such as mass flow rate, angle of repose, contact forces, etc., are crucial important for the optimization of absorber sphere pneumatic conveying process. Mass flow rate of granular flow through the sphere discharge valve and the bend tube are significant for the time of ball dropping and the time of conveying back rate, respectively. Experiments and DEM simulations have been conducted to investigate the granular flow characteristics. Experimental results showed that the relation between average mass flow rate through the sphere discharge valve and the valve stroke was composed of three zones i. e. the idle stroke zone, linearly zone and orifice restriction zone. The Beverloo's law was suitable for the granular flow through the multi-orifice during the orifice restriction zone. The variation of average mass flow rate with the valve stroke could be described by modified Beverloo's law based on the valve stroke. DEM simulation results showed that the drained angle of repose remained 23° at different valve strokes. Mass flow rate during steady granular flow through the sphere discharge valve at different valve strokes kept stable. The variation of mass flow rate through a bend tube was different from that through a circular orifice. (author)

DEM simulation of granular flows in a centrifugal acceleration field

Science.gov (United States)

Cabrera, Miguel Angel; Peng, Chong; Wu, Wei

2017-04-01

The main purpose of mass-flow experimental models is abstracting distinctive features of natural granular flows, and allow its systematic study in the laboratory. In this process, particle size, space, time, and stress scales must be considered for the proper representation of specific phenomena [5]. One of the most challenging tasks in small scale models, is matching the range of stresses and strains among the particle and fluid media observed in a field event. Centrifuge modelling offers an alternative to upscale all gravity-driven processes, and it has been recently employed in the simulation of granular flows [1, 2, 3, 6, 7]. Centrifuge scaling principles are presented in Ref. [4], collecting a wide spectrum of static and dynamic models. However, for the case of kinematic processes, the non-uniformity of the centrifugal acceleration field plays a major role (i.e., Coriolis and inertial effects). In this work, we discuss a general formulation for the centrifugal acceleration field, implemented in a discrete element model framework (DEM), and validated with centrifuge experimental results. Conventional DEM simulations relate the volumetric forces as a function of the gravitational force Gp = mpg. However, in the local coordinate system of a rotating centrifuge model, the cylindrical centrifugal acceleration field needs to be included. In this rotating system, the centrifugal acceleration of a particle depends on the rotating speed of the centrifuge, as well as the position and speed of the particle in the rotating model. Therefore, we obtain the formulation of centrifugal acceleration field by coordinate transformation. The numerical model is validated with a series of centrifuge experiments of monodispersed glass beads, flowing down an inclined plane at different acceleration levels and slope angles. Further discussion leads to the numerical parameterization necessary for simulating equivalent granular flows under an augmented acceleration field. The premise of

The Granular Blasius Problem: High inertial number granular flows

Science.gov (United States)

Tsang, Jonathan; Dalziel, Stuart; Vriend, Nathalie

2017-11-01

The classical Blasius problem considers the formation of a boundary layer through the change at x = 0 from a free-slip to a no-slip boundary beneath an otherwise steady uniform flow. Discrete particle model (DPM) simulations of granular gravity currents show that a similar phenomenon exists for a steady flow over a uniformly sloped surface that is smooth upstream (allowing slip) but rough downstream (imposing a no-slip condition). The boundary layer is a region of high shear rate and therefore high inertial number I; its dynamics are governed by the asymptotic behaviour of the granular rheology as I -> ∞ . The μ(I) rheology asserts that dμ / dI = O(1 /I2) as I -> ∞ , but current experimental evidence is insufficient to confirm this. We show that `generalised μ(I) rheologies', with different behaviours as I -> ∞ , all permit the formation of a boundary layer. We give approximate solutions for the velocity profile under each rheology. The change in boundary condition considered here mimics more complex topography in which shear stress increases in the streamwise direction (e.g. a curved slope). Such a system would be of interest in avalanche modelling. EPSRC studentship (Tsang) and Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship (Vriend).

A review on numerical models for granular flow inside hoppers and its applications in PBR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Yushi; Guo Qiuju; Zhang Liguo

2015-01-01

Granular flow is the shearing motion of a collection of discrete solid particles which are commonly seen and widely utilized in various industrial applications. One of the essential applications of dense slow granular flow in engineering is the pebble flow in pebble-bed nuclear reactor (PBR). A number of numerical models have been established for researching the basic physical mechanisms and properties of granular flow. For the purpose of generating an appropriate model for high temperature reactor-pebblebed modules (HTR-PM) in the future, numerical models on granular flow in hoppers and some of their previous applications on PBRs are reviewed. In this paper, basic transport and contact mechanisms of granular flow are firstly introduced, then kinetic theory from gas molecules and plastic theory from metal mechanics approaches give descriptions of the macroscopic behavior of rapid flow and quasistatic flow regimes, respectively, subsequently kinematic continuum method and discrete element method (DEM) are presented to describe the bulk features of dense slow flow in hoppers. Since various kinematic models, DEM models and their modified versions for dense slow granular flow in hoppers have been experimentally verified and applied in prediction of pebble flow in PBRs, a promising model for HTR-PM is expected with further work to generate pebble flow profile in the future. (author)

Simulation of 2D Granular Hopper Flow

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhusong; Shattuck, Mark

2012-02-01

Jamming and intermittent granular flow are big problems in industry, and the vertical hopper is a canonical example of these difficulties. We simulate gravity driven flow and jamming of 2D disks in a vertical hopper and compare with identical companion experiments presented in this session. We measure and compare the flow rate and probability for jamming as a function of particle properties and geometry. We evaluate the ability of standard Hertz-Mindlin contact mode to quantitatively predict the experimental flow.

Granular-front formation in free-surface flow of concentrated suspensions

Science.gov (United States)

Leonardi, Alessandro; Cabrera, Miguel; Wittel, Falk K.; Kaitna, Roland; Mendoza, Miller; Wu, Wei; Herrmann, Hans J.

2015-11-01

A granular front emerges whenever the free-surface flow of a concentrated suspension spontaneously alters its internal structure, exhibiting a higher concentration of particles close to its front. This is a common and yet unexplained phenomenon, which is usually believed to be the result of fluid convection in combination with particle size segregation. However, suspensions composed of uniformly sized particles also develop a granular front. Within a large rotating drum, a stationary recirculating avalanche is generated. The flowing material is a mixture of a viscoplastic fluid obtained from a kaolin-water dispersion with spherical ceramic particles denser than the fluid. The goal is to mimic the composition of many common granular-fluid materials, such as fresh concrete or debris flow. In these materials, granular and fluid phases have the natural tendency to separate due to particle settling. However, through the shearing caused by the rotation of the drum, a reorganization of the phases is induced, leading to the formation of a granular front. By tuning the particle concentration and the drum velocity, it is possible to control this phenomenon. The setting is reproduced in a numerical environment, where the fluid is solved by a lattice-Boltzmann method, and the particles are explicitly represented using the discrete element method. The simulations confirm the findings of the experiments, and provide insight into the internal mechanisms. Comparing the time scale of particle settling with the one of particle recirculation, a nondimensional number is defined, and is found to be effective in predicting the formation of a granular front.

Self-diffusion in dense granular shear flows.

Science.gov (United States)

Utter, Brian; Behringer, R P

2004-03-01

Diffusivity is a key quantity in describing velocity fluctuations in granular materials. These fluctuations are the basis of many thermodynamic and hydrodynamic models which aim to provide a statistical description of granular systems. We present experimental results on diffusivity in dense, granular shear flows in a two-dimensional Couette geometry. We find that self-diffusivities D are proportional to the local shear rate gamma; with diffusivities along the direction of the mean flow approximately twice as large as those in the perpendicular direction. The magnitude of the diffusivity is D approximately gamma;a(2), where a is the particle radius. However, the gradient in shear rate, coupling to the mean flow, and strong drag at the moving boundary lead to particle displacements that can appear subdiffusive or superdiffusive. In particular, diffusion appears to be superdiffusive along the mean flow direction due to Taylor dispersion effects and subdiffusive along the perpendicular direction due to the gradient in shear rate. The anisotropic force network leads to an additional anisotropy in the diffusivity that is a property of dense systems and has no obvious analog in rapid flows. Specifically, the diffusivity is suppressed along the direction of the strong force network. A simple random walk simulation reproduces the key features of the data, such as the apparent superdiffusive and subdiffusive behavior arising from the mean velocity field, confirming the underlying diffusive motion. The additional anisotropy is not observed in the simulation since the strong force network is not included. Examples of correlated motion, such as transient vortices, and Lévy flights are also observed. Although correlated motion creates velocity fields which are qualitatively different from collisional Brownian motion and can introduce nondiffusive effects, on average the system appears simply diffusive.

Experimental observations of granular debris flows

Science.gov (United States)

Ghilardi, P.

2003-04-01

Various tests are run using two different laboratory flumes with rectangular cross section and transparent walls. The grains used in a single experiment have an almost constant grain sizes; mean diameter ranges from 5 mm to 20 mm. In each test various measurements are taken: hydrograms, velocity distribution near the transparent walls and on the free surface, average flow concentration. Concentration values are measured taking samples. Velocity distributions are obtained from movies recorded by high speed video cameras capable of 350 frames per second; flow rates and depth hydrograms are computed from the same velocity distributions. A gate is installed at the beginning of one of the flumes; this gate slides normally to the bed and opens very quickly, reproducing a dam-break. Several tests are run using this device, varying channel slope, sediment concentration, initial mixture thickness before the gate. Velocity distribution in the flume is almost constant from left to right, except for the flow sections near the front. The observed discharges and velocities are less than those given by a classic dam break formula, and depend on sediment concentration. The other flume is fed by a mixture with constant discharge and concentration, and is mainly used for measuring velocity distributions when the flow is uniform, with both rigid and granular bed, and to study erosion/deposition processes near debris flow dams or other mitigation devices. The equilibrium slope of the granular bed is very close to that given by the classical equilibrium formulas for debris flow. Different deposition processes are observed depending on mixture concentration and channel geometry.

Erosion by sliding wear in granular flows: Experiments with realistic contact forces

Science.gov (United States)

Stark, C. P.; Hung, C. Y.; Smith, B.; Li, L.; Grinspun, E.; Capart, H.

2015-12-01

Debris flow erosion is a powerful and sometimes dominant process in steep channels. Despite its importance, this phenomenon is relatively little studied in the lab. The large drum experiments of Hsu are a notable exception, in which almost-field-scale impact forces were generated at the head of a synthetic debris flow whose properties (grain size, proportion of fines, etc) were varied widely.A key challenge in these and similar experiments is to explore how erosion rate varies as a function of the scale of the flow (thereby varying inertial stresses, impact forces, etc). The geometrical limitations of most lab experiments, and their short run time, severely limit the scope of such explorations.We achieve this scale exploration in a set of drum erosion experiments by varying effective gravity across several orders of magnitude (1g, 10g, 100g) in a geotechnical centrifuge. By half-filling our 40cm-diameter drum with dry 2.3mm grains, placing a synthetic rock plate at the back and a glass plate at the front 3cm apart, and rotating the drum at 1-50rpm, we simulate wear in a channelized dry granular flow. In contrast to Hsu's experiments, we focus on sliding wear erosion at the flow boundary rather than impact/frictional wear at the flow head. By varying effective gravity from 1g-100g we can tune the pressure exerted by the grains at the boundary without having to change the scale of our apparatus. Using a recently developed depth-averaged, kinetic-energy closure theory for granular flow, we can simultaneously tune the drum rotation rate such that the flow dynamics remain invariant. We can thereby explore how changing the scale of a granular flow, and thus the contact forces of grains on the boundary, controls the rate of rock erosion. Using a small apparatus we can simulate the erosion generated by debris flows several meters deep involving grains up to 10cm in diameter.Our results suggest that sliding wear is the main erosion process, and are consistent with Archard

Numerical investigations on flow dynamics of prismatic granular materials using the discrete element method

Science.gov (United States)

Hancock, W.; Weatherley, D.; Wruck, B.; Chitombo, G. P.

2012-04-01

The flow dynamics of granular materials is of broad interest in both the geosciences (e.g. landslides, fault zone evolution, and brecchia pipe formation) and many engineering disciplines (e.g chemical engineering, food sciences, pharmaceuticals and materials science). At the interface between natural and human-induced granular media flow, current underground mass-mining methods are trending towards the induced failure and subsequent gravitational flow of large volumes of broken rock, a method known as cave mining. Cave mining relies upon the undercutting of a large ore body, inducement of fragmentation of the rock and subsequent extraction of ore from below, via hopper-like outlets. Design of such mines currently relies upon a simplified kinematic theory of granular flow in hoppers, known as the ellipsoid theory of mass movement. This theory assumes that the zone of moving material grows as an ellipsoid above the outlet of the silo. The boundary of the movement zone is a shear band and internal to the movement zone, the granular material is assumed to have a uniformly high bulk porosity compared with surrounding stagnant regions. There is however, increasing anecdotal evidence and field measurements suggesting this theory fails to capture the full complexity of granular material flow within cave mines. Given the practical challenges obstructing direct measurement of movement both in laboratory experiments and in-situ, the Discrete Element Method (DEM [1]) is a popular alternative to investigate granular media flow. Small-scale DEM studies (c.f. [3] and references therein) have confirmed that movement within DEM silo flow models matches that predicted by ellipsoid theory, at least for mono-disperse granular material freely outflowing at a constant rate. A major draw-back of these small-scale DEM studies is that the initial bulk porosity of the simulated granular material is significantly higher than that of broken, prismatic rock. In this investigation, more

Unifying Suspension and Granular flows near Jamming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DeGiuli Eric

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Rheological properties of dense flows of hard particles are singular as one approaches the jamming threshold where flow ceases, both for granular flows dominated by inertia, and for over-damped suspensions. Concomitantly, the lengthscale characterizing velocity correlations appears to diverge at jamming. Here we review a theoretical framework that gives a scaling description of stationary flows of frictionless particles. Our analysis applies both to suspensions and inertial flows of hard particles. We report numerical results in support of the theory, and show the phase diagram that results when friction is added, delineating the regime of validity of the frictionless theory.

Some exact velocity profiles for granular flow in converging hoppers

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, Grant M.; Hill, James M.

2005-01-01

Gravity flow of granular materials through hoppers occurs in many industrial processes. For an ideal cohesionless granular material, which satisfies the Coulomb-Mohr yield condition, the number of known analytical solutions is limited. However, for the special case of the angle of internal friction δ equal to ninety degrees, there exist exact parametric solutions for the governing coupled ordinary differential equations for both two-dimensional wedges and three-dimensional cones, both of which involve two arbitrary constants of integration. These solutions are the only known analytical solutions of this generality. Here, we utilize the double-shearing theory of granular materials to determine the velocity field corresponding to these exact parametric solutions for the two problems of gravity flow through converging wedge and conical hoppers. An independent numerical solution for other angles of internal friction is shown to coincide with the analytical solution.

Critical state flow rules for CFD simulations of wet granular flows

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schwarze, R.; Gladkyy, A.; Luding, Stefan; E. Onate M. Bischoff, E. Ramm; P. Wriggers,

2013-01-01

First rheological investigation results of weakly wet granular media are presented. The materials have been examined experimentally and numerically in well- defined shear configurations in steady state, in the intermediate flow regime. For the experiments, a Searl-type ring shear cell with rotating

Effective Wall Friction in Wall-Bounded 3D Dense Granular Flows.

Science.gov (United States)

Artoni, Riccardo; Richard, Patrick

2015-10-09

We report numerical simulations on granular shear flows confined between two flat but frictional sidewalls. Novel regimes differing by their strain localization features are observed. They originate from the competition between dissipation at the sidewalls and dissipation in the bulk of the flow. The effective friction at sidewalls is characterized (effective friction coefficient and orientation of the friction force) for each regime, and its interdependence with slip and force fluctuations is pointed out. We propose a simple scaling law linking the slip velocity to the granular temperature in the main flow direction which leads naturally to another scaling law for the effective friction.

Non-spherical granular flows down inclined chutes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hidalgo, R.C.; Rubio-Largo, S.M.; Alonso-Marroquin, F.; Weinhart, T.

2017-01-01

In this work, we numerically examine the steady-state granular flow of 3D non-spherical particles down an inclined plane. We use a hybrid CPU/GPU implementation of the discrete element method of nonspherical elongated particles. Thus, a systematic study of the system response is performed varying

Modelling transient 3D multi-phase criticality in fluidised granular materials - the FETCH code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pain, C.C.; Gomes, J.L.M.A.; Eaton, M.D.; Ziver, A.K.; Umpleby, A.P.; Oliveira, C.R.E. de; Goddard, A.J.H.

2003-01-01

The development and application of a generic model for modelling criticality in fluidised granular materials is described within the Finite Element Transient Criticality (FETCH) code - which models criticality transients in spatial and temporal detail from fundamental principles, as far as is currently possible. The neutronics model in FETCH solves the neutron transport in full phase space with a spherical harmonics angle of travel representation, multi-group in neutron energy, Crank Nicholson based in time stepping, and finite elements in space. The fluids representation coupled with the neutronics model is a two-fluid-granular-temperature model, also finite element fased. A separate fluid is used to represent the liquid/vapour gas and the solid fuel particle phases, respectively. Particle-particle, particle-wall interactions are modelled using a kinetic theory approach on an analogy between the motion of gas molecules subject to binary collisions and granular flows. This model has been extensively validated by comparison with fluidised bed experimental results. Gas-fluidised beds involve particles that are often extremely agitated (measured by granular temperature) and can thus be viewed as a particularly demanding application of the two-fluid model. Liquid fluidised systems are of criticality interest, but these can become demanding with the production of gases (e.g. radiolytic and water vapour) and large fluid/particle velocities in energetic transients. We present results from a test transient model in which fissile material ( 239 Pu) is presented as spherical granules subsiding in water, located in a tank initially at constant temperature and at two alternative over-pressures in order to verify the theoretical model implemented in FETCH. (author)

Spatial correlations in compressible granular flows

OpenAIRE

Van Noije, T. P. C.; Ernst, M. H.; Brito López, Ricardo

1998-01-01

The clustering instability in freely evolving granular fluids manifests itself in the density-density correlation function and structure factor. These functions are calculated from fluctuating hydrodynamics. As time increases, the structure factor of density fluctuations develops a maximum, which shifts to smaller wave numbers (growing correlation length). Furthermore, the inclusion of longitudinal velocity fluctuations changes long-range correlations in the flow field qualitatively and exten...

Simulation of the effect of defence structures on granular flows using SPH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Lachamp

2002-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the SPH (Smoothed Particles Hydrodynamics numerical method adapted to complex rheology and free surface flow. It has been developed to simulate the local effect of a simple obstacle on a granular flow. We have introduced this specific rheology to the classical formalism of the method and thanks to experimental devices, we were able to validate the results. Two viscosity values have been simultaneously computed to simulate "plugs" and "dead zone" with the same code. First, some experiments have been done on a simple inclined slope to show the accuracy of the numerical results. We have fixed the mass flow rate to see the variations of the flow depth according to the channel slope. Then we put a weir to block the flow and we analysed the dependence between the obstacle height and the length of influence upstream from the obstacle. After having shown that numerical results were consistent, we have studied speed profiles and pressure impact on the structure. Also results with any topography will be presented. This will have a great interest to study real flow over natural topography while using the model for decision help.

Controlling mixing and segregation in time periodic granular flows

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Tathagata

Segregation is a major problem for many solids processing industries. Differences in particle size or density can lead to flow-induced segregation. In the present work, we employ the discrete element method (DEM)---one type of particle dynamics (PD) technique---to investigate the mixing and segregation of granular material in some prototypical solid handling devices, such as a rotating drum and chute. In DEM, one calculates the trajectories of individual particles based on Newton's laws of motion by employing suitable contact force models and a collision detection algorithm. Recently, it has been suggested that segregation in particle mixers can be thwarted if the particle flow is inverted at a rate above a critical forcing frequency. Further, it has been hypothesized that, for a rotating drum, the effectiveness of this technique can be linked to the probability distribution of the number of times a particle passes through the flowing layer per rotation of the drum. In the first portion of this work, various configurations of solid mixers are numerically and experimentally studied to investigate the conditions for improved mixing in light of these hypotheses. Besides rotating drums, many studies of granular flow have focused on gravity driven chute flows owing to its practical importance in granular transportation and to the fact that the relative simplicity of this type of flow allows for development and testing of new theories. In this part of the work, we observe the deposition behavior of both mono-sized and polydisperse dry granular materials in an inclined chute flow. The effects of different parameters such as chute angle, particle size, falling height and charge amount on the mass fraction distribution of granular materials after deposition are investigated. The simulation results obtained using DEM are compared with the experimental findings and a high degree of agreement is observed. Tuning of the underlying contact force parameters allows the achievement

Experimental study and DEM simulation of granular flow through a new sphere discharge valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang He; Li Tianjin; Huang Zhiyong; Gao Zhi; Qi Weiwei; Bo Hanliang

2015-01-01

Experiments and DEM simulation have been conducted to investigate the granular flow through a new type of sphere discharge valve. The new sphere discharge valve was based on the principle of angle of repose. The glass sphere was used in the granular discharge experiments. Experimental results showed that the relation between the averaging sphere discharge mass flow rate and the stroke of the sphere discharge valve were consisted of three zones, i.e. the idle stroke zone, linearly zone and orifice restriction zone. The Beverloo's law was suitable for the granular flow through multi-orifices in the orifice restriction zone. The variation of averaging sphere discharge mass flow rate with the stroke of the sphere discharge valve was described by Beverloo's law with the modification based on the stroke of the sphere discharge valve. DEM simulation results showed that the drained angle of repose during granular flow in the sphere storage vessel remained 23 degrees with different stroke of the sphere discharge valve. (authors)

PFEM-based modeling of industrial granular flows

Science.gov (United States)

Cante, J.; Dávalos, C.; Hernández, J. A.; Oliver, J.; Jonsén, P.; Gustafsson, G.; Häggblad, H.-Å.

2014-05-01

The potential of numerical methods for the solution and optimization of industrial granular flows problems is widely accepted by the industries of this field, the challenge being to promote effectively their industrial practice. In this paper, we attempt to make an exploratory step in this regard by using a numerical model based on continuous mechanics and on the so-called Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM). This goal is achieved by focusing two specific industrial applications in mining industry and pellet manufacturing: silo discharge and calculation of power draw in tumbling mills. Both examples are representative of variations on the granular material mechanical response—varying from a stagnant configuration to a flow condition. The silo discharge is validated using the experimental data, collected on a full-scale flat bottomed cylindrical silo. The simulation is conducted with the aim of characterizing and understanding the correlation between flow patterns and pressures for concentric discharges. In the second example, the potential of PFEM as a numerical tool to track the positions of the particles inside the drum is analyzed. Pressures and wall pressures distribution are also studied. The power draw is also computed and validated against experiments in which the power is plotted in terms of the rotational speed of the drum.

Friction dependence of shallow granular flows from discrete particle simulations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thornton, Anthony Richard; Weinhart, Thomas; Luding, Stefan; Bokhove, Onno

2011-01-01

A shallow-layer model for granular flows is completed with a closure relation for the macroscopic bed friction or basal roughness obtained from micro-scale discrete particle simulations of steady flows. We systematically vary the bed friction by changing the contact friction coefficient between

Continuum modelling of segregating tridisperse granular chute flow

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Zhekai; Umbanhowar, Paul B.; Ottino, Julio M.; Lueptow, Richard M.

2018-03-01

Segregation and mixing of size multidisperse granular materials remain challenging problems in many industrial applications. In this paper, we apply a continuum-based model that captures the effects of segregation, diffusion and advection for size tridisperse granular flow in quasi-two-dimensional chute flow. The model uses the kinematics of the flow and other physical parameters such as the diffusion coefficient and the percolation length scale, quantities that can be determined directly from experiment, simulation or theory and that are not arbitrarily adjustable. The predictions from the model are consistent with experimentally validated discrete element method (DEM) simulations over a wide range of flow conditions and particle sizes. The degree of segregation depends on the Péclet number, Pe, defined as the ratio of the segregation rate to the diffusion rate, the relative segregation strength κij between particle species i and j, and a characteristic length L, which is determined by the strength of segregation between smallest and largest particles. A parametric study of particle size, κij, Pe and L demonstrates how particle segregation patterns depend on the interplay of advection, segregation and diffusion. Finally, the segregation pattern is also affected by the velocity profile and the degree of basal slip at the chute surface. The model is applicable to different flow geometries, and should be easily adapted to segregation driven by other particle properties such as density and shape.

Can Wet Rocky Granular Flows Become Debris Flows Due to Fine Sediment Production by Abrasion?

Science.gov (United States)

Arabnia, O.; Sklar, L. S.; Bianchi, G.; Mclaughlin, M. K.

2015-12-01

Debris flows are rapid mass movements in which elevated pore pressures are sustained by a viscous fluid matrix with high concentrations of fine sediments. Debris flows may form from coarse-grained wet granular flows as fine sediments are entrained from hillslope and channel material. Here we investigate whether abrasion of the rocks within a granular flow can produce sufficient fine sediments to create debris flows. To test this hypothesis experimentally, we used a set of 4 rotating drums ranging from 0.2 to 4.0 m diameter. Each drum has vanes along the boundary ensure shearing within the flow. Shear rate was varied by changing drum rotational velocity to maintain a constant Froude Number across drums. Initial runs used angular clasts of granodiorite with a tensile strength of 7.6 MPa, with well-sorted coarse particle size distributions linearly scaled with drum radius. The fluid was initially clear water, which rapidly acquired fine-grained wear products. After each 250 m tangential distance, we measured the particle size distributions, and then returned all water and sediment to the drums for subsequent runs. We calculate particle wear rates using statistics of size and mass distributions, and by fitting the Sternberg equation to the rate of mass loss from the size fraction > 2mm. Abundant fine sediments were produced in the experiments, but very little change in the median grain size was detected. This appears to be due to clast rounding, as evidenced by a decrease in the number of stable equilibrium resting points. We find that the growth in the fine sediment concentration in the fluid scales with unit drum power. This relationship can be used to estimate fine sediment production rates in the field. We explore this approach at Inyo Creek, a steep catchment in the Sierra Nevada, California. There, a significant debris flow occurred in July 2013, which originated as a coarse-grained wet granular flow. We use surveys to estimate flow depth and velocity where super

Rheology of dense granular flows in two dimensions: Comparison of fully two-dimensional flows to unidirectional shear flow

Science.gov (United States)

Bhateja, Ashish; Khakhar, Devang V.

2018-06-01

We consider the rheology of steady two-dimensional granular flows, in different geometries, using discrete element method-based simulations of soft spheres. The flow classification parameter (ψ ), which defines the local flow type (ranging from pure rotation to simple shear to pure extension), varies spatially, to a significant extent, in the flows. We find that the material behaves as a generalized Newtonian fluid. The μ -I scaling proposed by Jop et al. [Nature (London) 441, 727 (2006), 10.1038/nature04801] is found to be valid in both two-dimensional and unidirectional flows, as observed in previous studies; however, the data for each flow geometry fall on a different curve. The results for the two-dimensional silo flow indicate that the viscosity does not depend directly on the flow type parameter, ψ . We find that the scaling based on "granular fluidity" [Zhang and Kamrin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 058001 (2017), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.058001] gives good collapse of the data to a single curve for all the geometries. The data for the variation of the solid faction with inertial number show a reasonable collapse for the different geometries.

Non-Steady Oscillatory Flow in Coarse Granular Materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, O. H.; Gent, M. R. A. van; Meer, J. W. van der

1992-01-01

Stationary and oscillatory flow through coarse granular materials have been investigated experimentally at Delft Hydraulics in their oscillating water tunnel with the objective of determining the coefficients of the extended Forchheimer equation. Cylinders, spheres and different types of rock have....... Further, for the non-stationary term, the virtual mass coefficient will be derived....

NMRI Measurements of Flow of Granular Mixtures

Science.gov (United States)

Nakagawa, Masami; Waggoner, R. Allen; Fukushima, Eiichi

1996-01-01

We investigate complex 3D behavior of granular mixtures in shaking and shearing devices. NMRI can non-invasively measure concentration, velocity, and velocity fluctuations of flows of suitable particles. We investigate origins of wall-shear induced convection flow of single component particles by measuring the flow and fluctuating motion of particles near rough boundaries. We also investigate if a mixture of different size particles segregate into their own species under the influence of external shaking and shearing disturbances. These non-invasive measurements will reveal true nature of convecting flow properties and wall disturbance. For experiments in a reduced gravity environment, we will design a light weight NMR imager. The proof of principle development will prepare for the construction of a complete spaceborne system to perform experiments in space.

Nonlocal rheological properties of granular flows near a jamming limit.

Science.gov (United States)

Aranson, Igor S; Tsimring, Lev S; Malloggi, Florent; Clément, Eric

2008-09-01

We study the rheology of sheared granular flows close to a jamming transition. We use the approach of partially fluidized theory (PFT) with a full set of equations extending the thin layer approximation derived previously for the description of the granular avalanches phenomenology. This theory provides a picture compatible with a local rheology at large shear rates [G. D. R. Midi, Eur. Phys. J. E 14, 341 (2004)] and it works in the vicinity of the jamming transition, where a description in terms of a simple local rheology comes short. We investigate two situations displaying important deviations from local rheology. The first one is based on a set of numerical simulations of sheared soft two-dimensional circular grains. The next case describes previous experimental results obtained on avalanches of sandy material flowing down an incline. Both cases display, close to jamming, significant deviations from the now standard Pouliquen's flow rule [O. Pouliquen, Phys. Fluids 11, 542 (1999); 11, 1956 (1999)]. This discrepancy is the hallmark of a strongly nonlocal rheology and in both cases, we relate the empirical results and the outcomes of PFT. The numerical simulations show a characteristic constitutive structure for the fluid part of the stress involving the confining pressure and the material stiffness that appear in the form of an additional dimensionless parameter. This constitutive relation is then used to describe the case of sandy flows. We show a quantitative agreement as far as the effective flow rules are concerned. A fundamental feature is identified in PFT as the existence of a jammed layer developing in the vicinity of the flow arrest that corroborates the experimental findings. Finally, we study the case of solitary erosive granular avalanches and relate the outcome with the PFT analysis.

DEM study of granular flow around blocks attached to inclined walls

Science.gov (United States)

Samsu, Joel; Zhou, Zongyan; Pinson, David; Chew, Sheng

2017-06-01

Damage due to intense particle-wall contact in industrial applications can cause severe problems in industries such as mineral processing, mining and metallurgy. Studying the flow dynamics and forces on containing walls can provide valuable feedback for equipment design and optimising operations to prolong the equipment lifetime. Therefore, solids flow-wall interaction phenomena, i.e. induced wall stress and particle flow patterns should be well understood. In this work, discrete element method (DEM) is used to study steady state granular flow in a gravity-fed hopper like geometry with blocks attached to an inclined wall. The effects of different geometries, e.g. different wall angles and spacing between blocks are studied by means of a 3D DEM slot model with periodic boundary conditions. The findings of this work include (i) flow analysis in terms of flow patterns and particle velocities, (ii) force distributions within the model geometry, and (iii) wall stress vs. model height diagrams. The model enables easy transfer of the key findings to other industrial applications handling granular materials.

DEM study of granular flow around blocks attached to inclined walls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samsu Joel

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Damage due to intense particle-wall contact in industrial applications can cause severe problems in industries such as mineral processing, mining and metallurgy. Studying the flow dynamics and forces on containing walls can provide valuable feedback for equipment design and optimising operations to prolong the equipment lifetime. Therefore, solids flow-wall interaction phenomena, i.e. induced wall stress and particle flow patterns should be well understood. In this work, discrete element method (DEM is used to study steady state granular flow in a gravity-fed hopper like geometry with blocks attached to an inclined wall. The effects of different geometries, e.g. different wall angles and spacing between blocks are studied by means of a 3D DEM slot model with periodic boundary conditions. The findings of this work include (i flow analysis in terms of flow patterns and particle velocities, (ii force distributions within the model geometry, and (iii wall stress vs. model height diagrams. The model enables easy transfer of the key findings to other industrial applications handling granular materials.

Granular shear flows of flexible rod-like particles

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Y.; Curtis, J.; Wassgren, C.; Ketterhagen, W.; Hancock, B.

2013-06-01

Flexible particles are widely encountered in nature, e.g., stalks of plants, fiberglass particles, and ceramic nanofibers. Early studies indicated that the deformability of particles has a significant impact on the properties of granular materials and fiber suspensions. In this study, shear flows of flexible particles are simulated using the Discrete Element Method (DEM) to explore the effect of particle flexibility on the flow behavior and constitutive laws. A flexible particle is formed by connecting a number of constituent spheres in a straight line using elastic bonds. The forces/moments due to the normal, tangential, bending, and torsional deformation of a bond resist the relative movement between two bonded constituent spheres. The bond stiffness determines how difficult it is to make a particle deform, and the bond damping accounts for the energy dissipation in the particle vibration process. The simulation results show that elastically bonded particles have smaller coefficients of restitution compared to rigidly connected particles, due to the fact that kinetic energy is partially converted to potential energy in a contact between flexible particles. The coefficient of restitution decreases as the bond stiffness decreases and the bond damping coefficient increases. As a result, smaller stresses are obtained for granular flows of the flexible particles with smaller bond stiffness and larger bond damping coefficient.

The respective roles of bulk friction and slip velocity during a granular mass flow

Science.gov (United States)

Staron, Lydie

2016-04-01

Catastrophic granular mass flows form an important natural hazard. Mitigation has motivated numerous studies on the properties of natural granular flows, and in particular, their ability to travel long distances away from the release point. The mobility of granular flows is commonly characterised through the definition of rheological properties and effective friction. Yet, it is widely accepted that the description in term of effective friction may include various lubrication effects, softening at the base of the flow and large slip velocities being a most likely one. In this case, flow bulk properties may obliterate the flow boundary conditions. In this contribution, we investigate how disentangling bulk properties from boundary conditions may improve our understanding of the flow. Using discrete simulations, we induce increasing slip velocities in different flow configurations. We show that increased mobility may be achieved without changing bulk properties. The results are interpreted in terms of a Robin-Navier slip condition and implemented in a continuum Navier-Stokes solver. We quantify the respective role of rheological bulk properties and boundary conditions in the general behaviour of a transient mass flow. We show that omitting the description of boundary conditions leads to misinterpretation of the flow properties. The outcome is discussed in terms of models reliability. References P.-Y. Lagrée et al, The granular column collapse as a continuum: validity of a two-dimensional Navier-Stokes model with the mu(I) rheology, J. Fluid Mech. 686, 378-408 (2011) L. Staron and E. Lajeunesse, Understanding how the volume affects the mobility of dry debris flows, Geophys. Res. Lett. 36, L12402 (2009) L. Staron, Mobility of long-runout rock flows: a discrete numerical investigation, Geophys. J. Int. 172, 455-463 (2008)

Experimentally determined distribution of granular-flow characteristics in collisional bed load transport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matoušek Václav

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A series of laboratory experiments on turbulent open-channel two-phase flow in a form of intense bed load transport is reported. Measurements in a laboratory tilting flume included camera based imaging techniques to identify the structure of the flow at the local level. Obtained experimental distributions of two-phase flow related parameters - granular velocity, concentration, and temperature - across a collisional transport layer are discussed. The results are analysed together with additional measured quantities (discharges of mixture and grains, flow depth, bed slope etc. Our major goal is to evaluate the distribution of granular stresses across the transport layer with a special attention paid to the interface between the transport layer and the bed. Furthermore, comparisons are discussed between the experimental results and predictions produced by suitable kinetic-theory based models.

Flow Characteristics and Grain Size Distribution of Granular Gangue Mineral by Compaction Treatment

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Ran Yuan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A test system for water flow in granular gangue mineral was designed to study the flow characteristics by compaction treatment. With the increase of the compaction displacement, the porosity decreases and void in granular gangue becomes less. The main reason causing initial porosity decrease is that the void of larger size is filled with small particles. Permeability tends to decrease and non-Darcy flow factor increases under the compaction treatment. The change trend of flow characteristics shows twists and turns, which indicate that flow characteristics of granular gangue mineral are related to compaction level, grain size distribution, crushing, and fracture structure. During compaction, larger particles are crushed, which in turn causes the weight of smaller particles to increase, and water flow induces fine particles to migrate (weight loss; meanwhile, a sample with more weight of size (0–2.5 mm has a higher amount of weight loss. Water seepage will cause the decrease of some chemical components, where SiO2 decreased the highest in these components; the components decreased are more likely locked at fragments rather than the defect of the minerals. The variation of the chemical components has an opposite trend when compared with permeability.

Granular flow through an aperture: Influence of the packing fraction

Science.gov (United States)

Aguirre, M. A.; De Schant, R.; Géminard, J.-C.

2014-07-01

For the last 50 years, the flow of a granular material through an aperture has been intensely studied in gravity-driven vertical systems (e.g., silos and hoppers). Nevertheless, in many industrial applications, grains are horizontally transported at constant velocity, lying on conveyor belts or floating on the surface of flowing liquids. Unlike fluid flows, that are controlled by the pressure, granular flow is not sensitive to the local pressure but rather to the local velocity of the grains at the outlet. We can also expect the flow rate to depend on the local density of the grains. Indeed, vertical systems are packed in dense configurations by gravity, but, in contrast, in horizontal systems the density can take a large range of values, potentially very small, which may significantly alter the flow rate. In the present article, we study, for different initial packing fractions, the discharge through an orifice of monodisperse grains driven at constant velocity by a horizontal conveyor belt. We report how, during the discharge, the packing fraction is modified by the presence of the outlet, and we analyze how changes in the packing fraction induce variations in the flow rate. We observe that variations of packing fraction do not affect the velocity of the grains at the outlet, and, therefore, we establish that flow-rate variations are directly related to changes in the packing fraction.

Segregation-mobility feedback for bidisperse shallow granular flows: Towards understanding segregation in geophysical flows

Science.gov (United States)

Thornton, A.; Denissen, I.; Weinhart, T.; Van der Vaart, K.

2017-12-01

The flow behaviour of shallow granular chute flows for uniform particles is well-described by the hstop-rheology [1]. Geophysical flows, however, are often composed of highly non-uniform particles that differ in particle (size, shape, composition) or contact (friction, dissipation, cohesion) properties. The flow behaviour of such mixtures can be strongly influenced by particle segregation effects. Here, we study the influence of particle size-segregation on the flow behaviour of bidisperse flows using experiments and the discrete particle method. We use periodic DPM to derive hstop-rheology for the bi-dispersed granular shallow layer equations, and study their dependence on the segregation profile. In the periodic box simulations, size-segregation results in an upward coarsening of the size distribution with the largest grains collecting at the top of the flow. In geophysical flows, the fact the flow velocity is greatest at the top couples with the vertical segregation to preferentially transported large particles to the front. The large grains may be overrun, resegregated towards the surface and recirculated before being shouldered aside into lateral levees. Theoretically it has been suggested this process should lead to a breaking size-segregation (BSS) wave located between a large-particle-rich front and a small-particle-rich tail [2,3]. In the BSS wave large particles that have been overrun rise up again to the free-surface while small particles sink to the bed. We present evidence for the existences of the BSS wave. This is achieved through the study of three-dimensional bidisperse granular flows in a moving-bed channel. Our analysis demonstrates a relation between the concentration of small particles in the flow and the amount of basal slip, in which the structure of the BSS wave plays a key role. This leads to a feedback between the mean bulk flow velocity and the process of size-segregation. Ultimately, these findings shed new light on the recirculation of

NMR studies of granular media and two-phase flow in porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiaoyu

This dissertation describes two experimental studies of a vibrofluidized granular medium and a preliminary study of two-phase fluid flow in a porous medium using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). The first study of granular medium is to test a scaling law of the rise in center of mass in a three-dimensional vibrofluidized granular system. Our granular system consisted of mustard seeds vibrated vertically at 40 Hz from 0g to 14g. We used Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to measure density profile in vibrated direction. We observed that the rise in center of mass scaled as nu 0alpha/Nlbeta with alpha = 1.0 +/- 0.2 and beta = 0.5 +/- 0.1, where nu 0 is the vibration velocity and Nl is the number of layers of grains in the container. A simple theory was proposed to explain the scaling exponents. In the second study we measured both density and velocity information in the same setup of the first study. Pulsed Field Gradient (PFG)-NMR combined with MRI was used to do this measurement. The granular system was fully fluidized at 14.85g 50 Hz with Nl ≤ 4. The velocity distributions at horizontal and vertical direction at different height were measured. The distributions were nearly-Gaussian far from sample bottom and non-Gaussian near sample bottom. Granular temperature profiles were calculated from the velocity distributions. The density and temperature profile were fit to a hydrodynamic theory. The theory agreed with experiments very well. A temperature inversion near top was also observed and explained by additional transport coefficient from granular hydrodynamics. The third study was the preliminary density measurement of invading phase profile in a two-phase flow in porous media. The purpose of this study was to test an invasion percolation with gradient (IPG) theory in two-phase flow of porous media. Two phases are dodecane and water doped with CuSO4. The porous medium was packed glass beads. The front tail width sigma and front width of invading phase were

Sidewall-friction-driven ordering transition in granular channel flows: Implications for granular rheology.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandal, Sandip; Khakhar, D V

2017-11-01

We report a transition from a disordered state to an ordered state in the flow of nearly monodisperse granular matter flowing in an inclined channel with planar slide walls and a bumpy base, using discrete element method simulations. For low particle-sidewall friction coefficients, the flowing particles are disordered, however, for high sidewall friction, an ordered state is obtained, characterized by a layering of the particles and hexagonal packing of the particles in each layer. The extent of ordering, quantified by the local bond-orientational order parameter, varies in the cross section of the channel, with the highest ordering near the sidewalls. The flow transition significantly affects the local rheology-the effective friction coefficient is lower, and the packing fraction is higher, in the ordered state compared to the disordered state. A simple model, incorporating the extent of local ordering, is shown to describe the rheology of the system.

Sidewall-friction-driven ordering transition in granular channel flows: Implications for granular rheology

Science.gov (United States)

Mandal, Sandip; Khakhar, D. V.

2017-11-01

We report a transition from a disordered state to an ordered state in the flow of nearly monodisperse granular matter flowing in an inclined channel with planar slide walls and a bumpy base, using discrete element method simulations. For low particle-sidewall friction coefficients, the flowing particles are disordered, however, for high sidewall friction, an ordered state is obtained, characterized by a layering of the particles and hexagonal packing of the particles in each layer. The extent of ordering, quantified by the local bond-orientational order parameter, varies in the cross section of the channel, with the highest ordering near the sidewalls. The flow transition significantly affects the local rheology—the effective friction coefficient is lower, and the packing fraction is higher, in the ordered state compared to the disordered state. A simple model, incorporating the extent of local ordering, is shown to describe the rheology of the system.

Creepy landscapes : river sediment entrainment develops granular flow rheology on creeping bed.

Science.gov (United States)

Prancevic, J.; Chatanantavet, P.; Ortiz, C. P.; Houssais, M.; Durian, D. J.; Jerolmack, D. J.

2015-12-01

To predict rates of river sediment transport, one must first address the zeroth-order question: when does sediment move? The concept and determination of the critical fluid shear stress remains hazy, as observing particle motion and determining sediment flux becomes increasingly hard in its vicinity. To tackle this problem, we designed a novel annular flume experiment - reproducing an infinite river channel - where the refractive index of particles and the fluid are matched. The fluid is dyed with a fluorescent powder and a green laser sheet illuminates the fluid only, allowing us to observe particle displacements in a vertical plane. Experiments are designed to highlight the basic granular interactions of sediment transport while suppressing the complicating effects of turbulence; accordingly, particles are uniform spheres and Reynolds numbers are of order 1. We have performed sediment transport measurements close to the onset of particle motion, at steady state, and over long enough time to record averaged rheological behavior of particles. We find that particles entrained by a fluid exhibit successively from top to bottom: a suspension regime, a dense granular flow regime, and - instead of a static bed - a creeping regime. Data from experiments at a range of fluid stresses can be collapsed onto one universal rheologic curve that indicates the effective friction is a monotonic function of a dimensionless number called the viscous number. These data are in remarkable agreement with the local rheology model proposed by Boyer et al., which means that dense granular flows, suspensions and bed-load transport are unified under a common frictional flow law. Importantly, we observe slow creeping of the granular bed even in the absence of bed load, at fluid stresses that are below the apparent critical value. This last observation challenges the classical definition of the onset of sediment transport, and points to a continuous transition from quasi-static deformation to

Bulbous head formation in bidisperse shallow granular flows over inclined planes

Science.gov (United States)

Denissen, I.; Thornton, A.; Weinhart, T.; Luding, S.

2017-12-01

Predicting the behaviour of hazardous natural granular flows (e.g. debris-flows and pyroclastic flows) is vital for an accurate assessment of the risks posed by such events. In these situations, an inversely graded vertical particle-size distribution develops, with larger particles on top of smaller particles. As the surface velocity of such flows is larger than the mean velocity, the larger material is then transported to the flow front. This creates a downstream size-segregation structure, resulting in a flow front composed purely of large particles, that are generally more frictional in geophysical flows. Thus, this segregation process reduces the mobility of the flow front, resulting in the formation of, a so-called, bulbous head. One of the main challenges of simulating these hazardous natural granular flows is the enormous number of particles they contain, which makes discrete particle simulations too computationally expensive to be practically useful. Continuum methods are able to simulate the bulk flow- and segregation behaviour of such flows, but have to make averaging approximations that reduce the huge number of degrees of freedom to a few continuum fields. Small-scale periodic discrete particle simulations can be used to determine the material parameters needed for the continuum model. In this presentation, we use a depth-averaged model to predict the flow profile for particulate chute flows, based on flow height, depth-averaged velocity and particle-size distribution [1], and show that the bulbous head structure naturally emerges from this model. The long-time behaviour of this solution of the depth-averaged continuum model converges to a novel travelling wave solution [2]. Furthermore, we validate this framework against computationally expensive 3D particle simulations, where we see surprisingly good agreement between both approaches, considering the approximations made in the continuum model. We conclude by showing that the travelling distance and

Scaling of wet granular flows in a rotating drum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jarray Ahmed

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this work, we investigate the effect of capillary forces and particle size on wet granular flows and we propose a scaling methodology that ensures the conservation of the bed flow. We validate the scaling law experimentally by using different size glass beads with tunable capillary forces. The latter is obtained using mixtures of ethanol-water as interstitial liquid and by increasing the hydrophobicity of glass beads with an ad-hoc silanization procedure. The scaling methodology in the flow regimes considered (slipping, slumping and rolling yields similar bed flow for different particle sizes including the angle of repose that normally increases when decreasing the particle size.

Simulation of granular and gas-solid flows using discrete element method

Science.gov (United States)

Boyalakuntla, Dhanunjay S.

2003-10-01

In recent years there has been increased research activity in the experimental and numerical study of gas-solid flows. Flows of this type have numerous applications in the energy, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals process industries. Typical applications include pulverized coal combustion, flow and heat transfer in bubbling and circulating fluidized beds, hopper and chute flows, pneumatic transport of pharmaceutical powders and pellets, and many more. The present work addresses the study of gas-solid flows using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques and discrete element simulation methods (DES) combined. Many previous studies of coupled gas-solid flows have been performed assuming the solid phase as a continuum with averaged properties and treating the gas-solid flow as constituting of interpenetrating continua. Instead, in the present work, the gas phase flow is simulated using continuum theory and the solid phase flow is simulated using DES. DES treats each solid particle individually, thus accounting for its dynamics due to particle-particle interactions, particle-wall interactions as well as fluid drag and buoyancy. The present work involves developing efficient DES methods for dense granular flow and coupling this simulation to continuum simulations of the gas phase flow. Simulations have been performed to observe pure granular behavior in vibrating beds. Benchmark cases have been simulated and the results obtained match the published literature. The dimensionless acceleration amplitude and the bed height are the parameters governing bed behavior. Various interesting behaviors such as heaping, round and cusp surface standing waves, as well as kinks, have been observed for different values of the acceleration amplitude for a given bed height. Furthermore, binary granular mixtures (granular mixtures with two particle sizes) in a vibrated bed have also been studied. Gas-solid flow simulations have been performed to study fluidized beds. Benchmark 2D

Flow and Jamming of Granular Materials in a Two-dimensional Hopper

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Junyao

Flow in a hopper is both a fertile testing ground for understanding fundamental granular flow rheology and industrially highly relevant. Despite increasing research efforts in this area, a comprehensive physical theory is still lacking for both jamming and flow of granular materials in a hopper. In this work, I have designed a two dimensional (2D) hopper experiment using photoelastic particles (particles' shape: disk or ellipse), with the goal to build a bridge between macroscopic phenomenon of hopper flow and microscopic particle-scale dynamics. Through synchronized data of particle tracking and stress distributions in particles, I have shown differences between my data of the time-averaged velocity/stress profile of 2D hopper flow with previous theoretical predictions. I have also demonstrated the importance of a mechanical stable arch near the opening on controlling hopper flow rheology and suggested a heuristic phase diagram for the hopper flow/jamming transition. Another part of this thesis work is focused on studying the impact of particle shape of particles on hopper flow. By comparing particle-tracking and photoelastic data for ellipses and disks at the appropriate length scale, I have demonstrated an important role for the rotational freedom of elliptical particles in controlling flow rheology through particle tracking and stress analysis. This work has been supported by International Fine Particle Research Institute (IFPRI) .

Granular flows on erodible layers: type and evolution of flow and deposit structures

Science.gov (United States)

Crosta, G.; De Blasio, F.; De Caro, M.; Volpi, G.; Frattini, P.

2012-04-01

The interaction of a fast moving landslide mass with the basal layer over which movement takes place has been discussed in previous contributions. Nevertheless, the evolution of the structures within the moving mass and the erodible layer are still to be described in detail (Hungr and Evans, 2004; Crosta et al., 1992, 2006, 2009, 2011; Dufresne et al., 2010; Mangeney et al., 2010) and modeling results (Crosta et al., 2006, 2009, 2011; Mangeney et al., 2010). We present some of the results from a campaign of laboratory experiments aimed at studying the evolution of a granular flow at the impact with and during the successive spreading over a cohesionless erodible layer. We performed these test to study the processes and to collect data and evidences to compare them with the results of numerical simulations and to verify capabilities of numerical codes. The laboratory setup consists of an inclined slope and an horizontal sector where release and transport, and deposition take place, respectively. Materials used for the tests are: a uniform rounded siliceous sand (Hostun sand; 0.125-0.5 mm) commonly adopted in lab tests because free of scale effects, and a gravel made of angular elements (12 mm in ave. size). Both the materials have been tested in dry conditions. Different slope angles have been tested (40, 45, 50, 55, 50, 66°) as well as different thicknesses of the erodible layer (0, 0.5, 1, 2 cm) and volumes of the released material (1.5, 3, 5, 9.6 liters). Tests have been monitored by means of a high speed camera and the pre- and post-failure geometries have been surveyed by means of a laser scanner. Deposit description allowed also the computation of volumes and the characterization of the different structures developed and frozen into the deposit. Experiments allowed us to observe the extreme processes occurring during the movement and the mise en place of the deposits. In particular, we observe the formation of a clear wave-like feature developing during the

Averaging processes in granular flows driven by gravity

Science.gov (United States)

Rossi, Giulia; Armanini, Aronne

2016-04-01

One of the more promising theoretical frames to analyse the two-phase granular flows is offered by the similarity of their rheology with the kinetic theory of gases [1]. Granular flows can be considered a macroscopic equivalent of the molecular case: the collisions among molecules are compared to the collisions among grains at a macroscopic scale [2,3]. However there are important statistical differences in dealing with the two applications. In the two-phase fluid mechanics, there are two main types of average: the phasic average and the mass weighed average [4]. The kinetic theories assume that the size of atoms is so small, that the number of molecules in a control volume is infinite. With this assumption, the concentration (number of particles n) doesn't change during the averaging process and the two definitions of average coincide. This hypothesis is no more true in granular flows: contrary to gases, the dimension of a single particle becomes comparable to that of the control volume. For this reason, in a single realization the number of grain is constant and the two averages coincide; on the contrary, for more than one realization, n is no more constant and the two types of average lead to different results. Therefore, the ensamble average used in the standard kinetic theory (which usually is the phasic average) is suitable for the single realization, but not for several realization, as already pointed out in [5,6]. In the literature, three main length scales have been identified [7]: the smallest is the particles size, the intermediate consists in the local averaging (in order to describe some instability phenomena or secondary circulation) and the largest arises from phenomena such as large eddies in turbulence. Our aim is to solve the intermediate scale, by applying the mass weighted average, when dealing with more than one realizations. This statistical approach leads to additional diffusive terms in the continuity equation: starting from experimental

Transient response in granular bounded heap flows

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Xiao, Hongyi; Ottino, Julio M.; Lueptow, Richard M.; Umbanhowar, Paul B.

2017-11-01

Heap formation, a canonical granular flow, is common in industry and is also found in nature. Here, we study the transition between steady flow states in quasi-2D bounded heaps by suddenly changing the feed rate from one fixed value to another. During the transition, in both experiments and discrete element method simulations, an additional wedge of flowing particles propagates over the rising free surface. The downstream edge of the wedge - the wedge front - moves downstream with velocity inversely proportional to the square root of time. An additional longer duration transient process continues after the wedge front reaches the downstream wall. The transient flux profile during the entire transition is well modeled by a diffusion-like equation derived from local mass balance and a local linear relation between the flux and the surface slope. Scalings for the transient kinematics during the flow transitions are developed based on the flux profiles. Funded by NSF Grant CBET-1511450.

2D transient granular flows over obstacles: experimental and numerical work

Science.gov (United States)

Juez, Carmelo; Caviedes-Voullième, Daniel; Murillo, Javier; García-Navarro, Pilar

2016-04-01

Landslides are an ubiquitous natural hazard, and therefore human infrastructure and settlements are often at risk in mountainous regions. In order to better understand and predict landslides, systematic studies of the phenomena need to be undertaken. In particular, computational tools which allow for analysis of field problems require to be thoroughly tested, calibrated and validated under controlled conditions. And to do so, it is necessary for such controlled experiments to be fully characterized in the same terms as the numerical model requires. This work presents an experimental study of dry granular flow over a rough bed with topography which resembles a mountain valley. It has an upper region with a very high slope. The geometry of the bed describes a fourth order polynomial curve, with a low point with zero slope, and afterwards a short region with adverse slope. Obstacles are present in the lower regions which are used as model geometries of human structures. The experiments consisted of a sudden release a mass of sand on the upper region, and allowing it to flow downslope. Furthermore, it has been frequent in previous studies to measure final states of the granular mass at rest, but seldom has transient data being provided, and never for the entire field. In this work we present transient measurements of the moving granular surfaces, obtained with a consumer-grade RGB-D sensor. The sensor, developed for the videogame industry, allows to measure the moving surface of the sand, thus obtaining elevation fields. The experimental results are very consistent and repeatable. The measured surfaces clearly show the distinctive features of the granular flow around the obstacles and allow to qualitatively describe the different flow patterns. More importantly, the quantitative description of the granular surface allows for benchmarking and calibration of predictive numerical models, key in scaling the small-scale experimental knowledge into the field. In addition, as

A granular refillable filter for glas-flows contaminated by radioactive impurities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonn, J.W.

1975-01-01

Description is given of a granular charcoal refillable filter adapted to adsorb the radioactive impurities of a gaseous flow. That flow comprises a number of filtering layers, the consumed charcoal of which can be discharged by a pneumatic device without exposing the personnel to radioactivity. This can be applied to emergency devices in nuclear facilities [fr

Dense granular Flows: a conceptual design of high-power neutron source

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Yang Lei

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A high-power neutron source system is very useful for multifunctional applications, such as material facilities for advanced nuclear power, space radiation studies, radiography and tomography. Here the idea of inclined dense granular flow is utilized and developed in a new conceptual design of a compact high-power target to produce a high-energy and high-flux neutron irradiation (the flux is up to 1015 n/cm2/s or even 1016. Comparing to the traditional solid and liquid heavy metal targets, this design has advantages in material choice, fluid stability, heat removal, etc. In this paper the natures of the granular flows in an inclined chute are investigated and preliminary experimental and numerical results are reported. Then the feasibility of this design is discussed.

Connecting grain-scale physics to macroscopic granular flow behavior using discrete contact-dynamics simulations, centrifuge experiments, and continuum modeling

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Reitz, Meredith; Stark, Colin; Hung, Chi-Yao; Smith, Breannan; Grinspin, Eitan; Capart, Herve; Li, Liming; Crone, Timothy; Hsu, Leslie; Ling, Hoe

2014-05-01

A complete theoretical understanding of geophysical granular flow is essential to the reliable assessment of landslide and debris flow hazard and for the design of mitigation strategies, but several key challenges remain. Perhaps the most basic is a general treatment of the processes of internal energy dissipation, which dictate the runout velocity and the shape and scale of the affected area. Currently, dissipation is best described by macroscopic, empirical friction coefficients only indirectly related to the grain-scale physics. Another challenge is describing the forces exerted at the boundaries of the flow, which dictate the entrainment of further debris and the erosion of cohesive surfaces. While the granular effects on these boundary forces have been shown to be large compared to predictions from continuum approximations, the link between granular effects and erosion or entrainment rates has not been settled. Here we present preliminary results of a multi-disciplinary study aimed at improving our understanding of granular flow energy dissipation and boundary forces, through an effort to connect grain-scale physics to macroscopic behaviors. Insights into grain-scale force distributions and energy dissipation mechanisms are derived from discrete contact-dynamics simulations. Macroscopic erosion and flow behaviors are documented from a series of granular flow experiments, in which a rotating drum half-filled with grains is placed within a centrifuge payload, in order to drive effective gravity levels up to ~100g and approach the forces present in natural systems. A continuum equation is used to characterize the flowing layer depth and velocity resulting from the force balance between the down-slope pull of gravity and the friction at the walls. In this presentation we will focus on the effect of granular-specific physics such as force chain networks and grain-grain collisions, derived from the contact dynamics simulations. We will describe our efforts to

Revisiting Johnson and Jackson boundary conditions for granular flows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Tingwen; Benyahia, Sofiane

2012-07-01

In this article, we revisit Johnson and Jackson boundary conditions for granular flows. The oblique collision between a particle and a flat wall is analyzed by adopting the classic rigid-body theory and a more realistic semianalytical model. Based on the kinetic granular theory, the input parameter for the partial-slip boundary conditions, specularity coefficient, which is not measurable in experiments, is then interpreted as a function of the particle-wall restitution coefficient, the frictional coefficient, and the normalized slip velocity at the wall. An analytical expression for the specularity coefficient is suggested for a flat, frictional surface with a low frictional coefficient. The procedure for determining the specularity coefficient for a more general problem is outlined, and a working approximation is provided.

Advances in studies of dense volcanic granular flows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bursik, M [University of Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY 14260 (United States); Patra, A [University of Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY 14260 (United States); Pitman, E B [University of Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY 14260 (United States); Nichita, C [University of Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY 14260 (United States); Macias, J L [Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Coyoacan, Mexico D F (Mexico); Saucedo, R [Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Coyoacan, Mexico D F (Mexico); Girina, O [Institute of Volcanic Geology and Geochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskii (Russian Federation)

2005-02-01

The collapse and decrepitation of a lava dome at the summit of a volcano generally results in the generation of dense granular flows, often referred to as block and ash flows. As the dome particles propagate from the source, they break apart by internal pressure as well as collision. The propagation of block and ash flows can be simulated to some accuracy with a depth averaged numerical model of the equations of continuity and momentum for a material with a frictional resistance. However, important features of such flows, such as the influence of remote stress through force chains, erosion of the volcano substrate, and shock formation and pressurization upon particle break up are poorly understood. In the near future, the influence of these factors will be incorporated into depth averaged models. Various numerical techniques based on particles will some day yield results that can be compared not only with bulk flow properties, but to the internal layering of block and ash flow deposits.

Implementation and Re nement of a Comprehensive Model for Dense Granular Flows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sundaresan, Sankaran [The Trustees Of Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States)

2015-09-30

Dense granular ows are ubiquitous in both natural and industrial processes. They manifest three di erent ow regimes, each exhibiting its own dependence on solids volume fraction, shear rate, and particle-level properties. This research project sought to develop continuum rheological models for dense granular ows that bridges multiple regimes of ow, implement them in open-source platforms for gas-particle ows and perform test simulations. The rst phase of the research covered in this project involved implementation of a steady- shear rheological model that bridges quasi-static, intermediate and inertial regimes of ow into MFIX (Multiphase Flow with Interphase eXchanges - a general purpose computer code developed at the National Energy Technology Laboratory). MFIX simulations of dense granular ows in hourglass-shaped hopper were then performed as test examples. The second phase focused on formulation of a modi ed kinetic theory for frictional particles that can be used over a wider range of particle volume fractions and also apply for dynamic, multi- dimensional ow conditions. To guide this work, simulations of simple shear ows of identical mono-disperse spheres were also performed using the discrete element method. The third phase of this project sought to develop and implement a more rigorous treatment of boundary e ects. Towards this end, simulations of simple shear ows of identical mono-disperse spheres con ned between parallel plates were performed and analyzed to formulate compact wall boundary conditions that can be used for dense frictional ows at at frictional boundaries. The fourth phase explored the role of modest levels of cohesive interactions between particles on the dense phase rheology. The nal phase of this project focused on implementation and testing of the modi ed kinetic theory in MFIX and running bin-discharge simulations as test examples.

Nonlinear stability, bifurcation and resonance in granular plane Couette flow

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Priyanka; Alam, Meheboob

2010-11-01

A weakly nonlinear stability theory is developed to understand the effect of nonlinearities on various linear instability modes as well as to unveil the underlying bifurcation scenario in a two-dimensional granular plane Couette flow. The relevant order parameter equation, the Landau-Stuart equation, for the most unstable two-dimensional disturbance has been derived using the amplitude expansion method of our previous work on the shear-banding instability.ootnotetextShukla and Alam, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 068001 (2009). Shukla and Alam, J. Fluid Mech. (2010, accepted). Two types of bifurcations, Hopf and pitchfork, that result from travelling and stationary linear instabilities, respectively, are analysed using the first Landau coefficient. It is shown that the subcritical instability can appear in the linearly stable regime. The present bifurcation theory shows that the flow is subcritically unstable to disturbances of long wave-lengths (kx˜0) in the dilute limit, and both the supercritical and subcritical states are possible at moderate densities for the dominant stationary and traveling instabilities for which kx=O(1). We show that the granular plane Couette flow is prone to a plethora of resonances.ootnotetextShukla and Alam, J. Fluid Mech. (submitted, 2010)

Impurity in a granular gas under nonlinear Couette flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vega Reyes, Francisco; Garzó, Vicente; Santos, Andrés

2008-01-01

We study in this work the transport properties of an impurity immersed in a granular gas under stationary nonlinear Couette flow. The starting point is a kinetic model for low-density granular mixtures recently proposed by the authors (Vega Reyes et al 2007 Phys. Rev. E 75 061306). Two routes have been considered. First, a hydrodynamic or normal solution is found by exploiting a formal mapping between the kinetic equations for the gas particles and for the impurity. We show that the transport properties of the impurity are characterized by the ratio between the temperatures of the impurity and gas particles and by five generalized transport coefficients: three related to the momentum flux (a nonlinear shear viscosity and two normal stress differences) and two related to the heat flux (a nonlinear thermal conductivity and a cross-coefficient measuring a component of the heat flux orthogonal to the thermal gradient). Second, by means of a Monte Carlo simulation method we numerically solve the kinetic equations and show that our hydrodynamic solution is valid in the bulk of the fluid when realistic boundary conditions are used. Furthermore, the hydrodynamic solution applies to arbitrarily (inside the continuum regime) large values of the shear rate, of the inelasticity, and of the rest of the parameters of the system. Preliminary simulation results of the true Boltzmann description show the reliability of the nonlinear hydrodynamic solution of the kinetic model. This shows again the validity of a hydrodynamic description for granular flows, even under extreme conditions, beyond the Navier–Stokes domain

Flow and fracture in water-saturated, unconstrained granular beds

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Germán eVaras

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The injection of gas in a liquid-saturated granular bed gives rise to a wide variety of invasion patterns. Many studies have focused on constrained porous media, in which the grains are fixed in the bed and only the interstitial fluid flows when the gas invades the system. With a free upper boundary, however, the grains can be entrained by the ascending gas or fluid motion, and the competition between the upward motion of grains and sedimentation leads to new patterns. We propose a brief review of the experimental investigation of the dynamics of air rising through a water-saturated, unconstrained granular bed, in both two and three dimensions. After describing the invasion pattern at short and long time, a tentative regime-diagram is proposed. We report original results showing a dependence of the fluidized zone shape, at long times, on the injection flow rate and grain size. A method based on image analysis makes it possible to detect not only the fluidized zone profile in the stationary regime, but also to follow the transient dynamics of its formation. Finally, we describe the degassing dynamics inside the fluidized zone, in the stationary regime. Depending on the experimental conditions, regular bubbling, continuous degassing, intermittent regime or even spontaneous flow-to-fracture transition are observed.

Rheological Modeling of Macro Viscous Flows of Granular Suspension of Regular and Irregular Particles

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Anna Maria Pellegrino

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper refers to complex granular-fluid mixtures involved into geophysical flows, such as debris and hyper-concentrated flows. For such phenomena, the interstitial fluids play a role when they are in the viscous regime. Referring to experiments on granular-fluid mixture carried out with pressure imposed annular shear cell, we study the rheological behaviour of dense mixture involving both spheres and irregular-shaped particles. For the case of viscous suspensions with irregular grains, a significant scatter of data from the trend observed for mixtures with spherical particles was evident. In effect, the shape of the particles likely plays a fundamental role in the flow dynamics, and the constitutive laws proposed by the frictional theory for the spheres are no longer valid. Starting from the frictional approach successfully applied to suspension of spheres, we demonstrate that also in case of irregular particles the mixture rheology may be fully characterized by the two relationships involving friction coefficient µ and volume concentration Ф as a function of the dimensionless viscous number Iv. To this goal, we provided a new consistent general model, referring to the volume fraction law and friction law, which accounts for the particle shape. In this way, the fitting parameters reduce just to the static friction angle µ1, and the two parameters, k and fs related to the grain shape. The resulting general model may apply to steady fully developed flows of saturated granular fluid mixture in the viscous regime, no matter of granular characteristics.

An Investigation of Parallel Post-Laminar Flow through Coarse Granular Porous Media with the Wilkins Equation

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Ashes Banerjee

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Behaviour of flow resistance with velocity is still undefined for post-laminar flow through coarse granular media. This can cause considerable errors during flow measurements in situations like rock fill dams, water filters, pumping wells, oil and gas exploration, and so on. Keeping the non-deviating nature of Wilkins coefficients with the hydraulic radius of media in mind, the present study further explores their behaviour to independently varying media size and porosity, subjected to parallel post-laminar flow through granular media. Furthermore, an attempt is made to simulate the post-laminar flow conditions with the help of a Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD Model in ANSYS FLUENT, since conducting large-scale experiments are often costly and time-consuming. The model output and the experimental results are found to be in good agreement. Percentage deviations between the experimental and numerical results are found to be in the considerable range. Furthermore, the simulation results are statistically validated with the experimental results using the standard ‘Z-test’. The output from the model advocates the importance and applicability of CFD modelling in understanding post-laminar flow through granular media.

Granular materials flow like complex fluids

Science.gov (United States)

Kou, Binquan; Cao, Yixin; Li, Jindong; Xia, Chengjie; Li, Zhifeng; Dong, Haipeng; Zhang, Ang; Zhang, Jie; Kob, Walter; Wang, Yujie

2017-11-01

Granular materials such as sand, powders and foams are ubiquitous in daily life and in industrial and geotechnical applications. These disordered systems form stable structures when unperturbed, but in the presence of external influences such as tapping or shear they `relax', becoming fluid in nature. It is often assumed that the relaxation dynamics of granular systems is similar to that of thermal glass-forming systems. However, so far it has not been possible to determine experimentally the dynamic properties of three-dimensional granular systems at the particle level. This lack of experimental data, combined with the fact that the motion of granular particles involves friction (whereas the motion of particles in thermal glass-forming systems does not), means that an accurate description of the relaxation dynamics of granular materials is lacking. Here we use X-ray tomography to determine the microscale relaxation dynamics of hard granular ellipsoids subject to an oscillatory shear. We find that the distribution of the displacements of the ellipsoids is well described by a Gumbel law (which is similar to a Gaussian distribution for small displacements but has a heavier tail for larger displacements), with a shape parameter that is independent of the amplitude of the shear strain and of the time. Despite this universality, the mean squared displacement of an individual ellipsoid follows a power law as a function of time, with an exponent that does depend on the strain amplitude and time. We argue that these results are related to microscale relaxation mechanisms that involve friction and memory effects (whereby the motion of an ellipsoid at a given point in time depends on its previous motion). Our observations demonstrate that, at the particle level, the dynamic behaviour of granular systems is qualitatively different from that of thermal glass-forming systems, and is instead more similar to that of complex fluids. We conclude that granular materials can relax

Fracture flow code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dershowitz, W; Herbert, A.; Long, J.

1989-03-01

The hydrology of the SCV site will be modelled utilizing discrete fracture flow models. These models are complex, and can not be fully cerified by comparison to analytical solutions. The best approach for verification of these codes is therefore cross-verification between different codes. This is complicated by the variation in assumptions and solution techniques utilized in different codes. Cross-verification procedures are defined which allow comparison of the codes developed by Harwell Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, and Golder Associates Inc. Six cross-verification datasets are defined for deterministic and stochastic verification of geometric and flow features of the codes. Additional datasets for verification of transport features will be documented in a future report. (13 figs., 7 tabs., 10 refs.) (authors)

Granular flow in a rotating drum: Experiments and theory

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, C. Y.; Stark, C. P.; Capart, H.; Li, L.; Smith, B.; Grinspun, E.

2015-12-01

Erosion at the base of a debris flow fundamentally controls how large the flow will become and how far it will travel. Experimental observations of this important phenomenon are rather limited, and this lack has led theoretical treatments to making ad hoc assumptions about the basal process. In light of this, we carried out a combination of laboratory experiments and theoretical analysis of granular flow in a rotating drum, a canonical example of steady grain motion in which entrainment rates can be precisely controlled. Our main result is that basal sediment is entrained as the velocity profile adjusts to imbalance in the flow of kinetic energy.Our experimental apparatus consisted of a 40cm-diameter drum, 4cm-deep, half-filled with 2.3mm grains. Rotation rates varied from 1-70 rpm. We varied the effective scale by varying effective gravity from 1g to 70g on a geotechnical centrifuge. The field of grain motion was recorded using high-speed video and mapped using particle tracking velocimetry. In tandem we developed a depth-averaged theory using balance equations for mass, momentum and kinetic energy. We assumed a linearized GDR Midi granular rheology [da Cruz, 2005] and a Coulomb friction law along the sidewalls [Jop et al., 2005]. A scaling analysis of our equations yields a dimensionless "entrainment number" En, which neatly parametrizes the flow geometry in the drum for a wide range of variables, e.g., rotation rate and effective gravity. At low En, the flow profile is planar and kinetic energy is balanced locally in the flow layer. At high En, the flow profile is sigmoidal (yin-yang shaped) and the kinetic energy is dominated by longitudinal, streamwise transfer. We observe different scaling behavior under each of these flow regimes, e.g., between En and kinetic energy, surface slope and flow depth. Our theory correctly predicts their scaling exponents and the value of En at which the regime transition takes place. We are also able to make corrections for

Fundamental changes of granular flows dynamics, deposition and erosion processes at high slope angles: insights from laboratory experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Farin, Maxime; Mangeney, Anne; Roche, Olivier

2014-05-01

Geophysical granular flows commonly interact with their substrate in various ways depending on the mechanical properties of the underlying material. Granular substrates, resulting from deposition of earlier flows or various geological events, are often eroded by avalanches [see Hungr and Evans, 2004 for review]. The entrainment of underlying debris by the flow is suspected to affect flow dynamics because qualitative and quantitative field observations suggest that it can increase the flow velocity and deposit extent, depending on the geological setting and flow type [Sovilla et al., 2006; Iverson et al., 2011]. Direct measurement of material entrainment in nature, however, is very difficult. We conducted laboratory experiments on granular column collapse over an inclined channel with and without an erodible bed of granular material. The controlling parameters were the channel slope angle, the granular column volume and its aspect ratio (i.e. height over length), the inclination of the column with respect to the channel base, the channel width, and the thickness and compaction of the erodible bed. For slope angles below a critical value θc, between 10° and 16°, the runout distance rf is proportional to the initial column height h0 and is unaffected by the presence of an erodible bed. On steeper slopes, the flow dynamics change fundamentally since a last phase of slow propagation develops at the end of the flow front deceleration, and prolongates significantly the flow duration. This phase has similar characteristics that steady, uniform flows. The slow propagation phase lasts longer for increasing slope angle, column volume, column inclination with respect to the slope, and channel width, and for decreasing column aspect ratio. It is however independent of the maximum front velocity and, on an erodible bed, of the maximum depth of excavation within the bed. Both on rigid and erodible beds, the increase of the slow propagation phase duration has a crucial effect

Reconfiguration of a flexible fiber immersed in a 2D dense granular flow close to the jamming transition

Science.gov (United States)

Kolb, Evelyne; Algarra, Nicolas; Vandembroucq, Damien; Lazarus, Arnaud

2015-11-01

We propose a new fluid/structure interaction in the unusual case of a dense granular medium flowing against an elastic fibre acting as a flexible intruder. We experimentally studied the deflection of a mylar flexible beam clamped at one side, the other free side facing a 2D granular flow in a horizontal cell moving at a constant velocity. We investigated the reconfiguration of the fibre as a function of the fibre's rigidity and of the granular packing fraction close but below the jamming in 2D. Imposing the fibre geometry like its length or thickness sets the critical buckling force the fibre is able to resist if it was not supported by lateral grains, while increasing the granular packing fraction might laterally consolidate the fibre and prevent it from buckling. But on the other side, the approach to jamming transition by increasing the granular packing fraction will be characterized by a dramatically increasing size of the cluster of connected grains forming a solid block acting against the fibre, which might promote the fibre's deflection. Thus, we investigated the granular flow fields, the fibre's deflexion as well as the forces experienced by the fibre and compared them with theoretical predictions from elastica for different loadings along the fibre. PMMH, CNRS UMR 7636, UPMC, ESPCI-ParisTech, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France.

A soft-rigid contact model of MPM for granular flow impact on retaining structures

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xinpo; Xie, Yanfang; Gutierrez, Marte

2018-02-01

Protective measures against hazards associated with rapid debris avalanches include a variety of retaining structures such as rock/boulder fences, gabions, earthfill barriers and retaining walls. However, the development of analytical and numerical methods for the rational assessment of impact force generated by granular flows is still a challenge. In this work, a soft-rigid contact model is built under the coding framework of MPM which is a hybrid method with Eulerian-Lagrangian description. The soft bodies are discretized into particles (material points), and the rigid bodies are presented by rigid node-based surfaces. Coulomb friction model is used to implement the modeled contact mechanics, and a velocity-dependent friction coefficient is coupled into the model. Simulations of a physical experiment show that the peak and residual value of impact forces are well captured by the MPM model. An idealized scenario of debris avalanche flow down a hillslope and impacting on a retaining wall are analyzed using the MPM model. The calculated forces can provide a quantitative estimate from which mound design could proceed for practical implementation in the field.

Computational domain discretization in numerical analysis of flow within granular materials

Science.gov (United States)

Sosnowski, Marcin

2018-06-01

The discretization of computational domain is a crucial step in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) because it influences not only the numerical stability of the analysed model but also the agreement of obtained results and real data. Modelling flow in packed beds of granular materials is a very challenging task in terms of discretization due to the existence of narrow spaces between spherical granules contacting tangentially in a single point. Standard approach to this issue results in a low quality mesh and unreliable results in consequence. Therefore the common method is to reduce the diameter of the modelled granules in order to eliminate the single-point contact between the individual granules. The drawback of such method is the adulteration of flow and contact heat resistance among others. Therefore an innovative method is proposed in the paper: single-point contact is extended to a cylinder-shaped volume contact. Such approach eliminates the low quality mesh elements and simultaneously introduces only slight distortion to the flow as well as contact heat transfer. The performed analysis of numerous test cases prove the great potential of the proposed method of meshing the packed beds of granular materials.

Effective Wall Friction in Wall-Bounded 3D Dense Granular Flows

OpenAIRE

Artoni, Riccardo; Richard, Patrick

2015-01-01

to be published in Physical Review LettersThe numerical simulations were carried out at theCCIPL (Centre de Calcul Intensif des Pays de la Loire)under the project MTEEGD; We report numerical simulations on granular shear flows confined between two flat but frictional sidewalls. Novel regimes differing by their strain localization features are observed. They originate from the competition between dissipation at the sidewalls and dissipation in the bulk of the flow. The effective friction at si...

Discharge flow of a granular media from a silo: effect of the packing fraction and of the hopper angle

Science.gov (United States)

Benyamine, Mebirika; Aussillous, Pascale; Dalloz-Dubrujeaud, Blanche

2017-06-01

Silos are widely used in the industry. While empirical predictions of the flow rate, based on scaling laws, have existed for more than a century (Hagen 1852, translated in [1] - Beverloo et al. [2]), recent advances have be made on the understanding of the control parameters of the flow. In particular, using continuous modeling together with a mu(I) granular rheology seem to be successful in predicting the flow rate for large numbers of beads at the aperture (Staron et al.[3], [4]). Moreover Janda et al.[5] have shown that the packing fraction at the outlet plays an important role when the number of beads at the apeture decreases. Based on these considerations, we have studied experimentally the discharge flow of a granular media from a rectangular silo. We have varied two main parameters: the angle of the hopper, and the bulk packing fraction of the granular material by using bidisperse mixtures. We propose a simple physical model to describe the effect of these parameters, considering a continuous granular media with a dilatancy law at the outlet. This model predicts well the dependance of the flow rate on the hopper angle as well as the dependance of the flow rate on the fine mass fraction of a bidisperse mixture.

Relaxation-type nonlocal inertial-number rheology for dry granular flows

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Keng-lin; Yang, Fu-ling

2017-12-01

We propose a constitutive model to describe the nonlocality, hysteresis, and several flow features of dry granular materials. Taking the well-known inertial number I as a measure of sheared-induced local fluidization, we derive a relaxation model for I according to the evolution of microstructure during avalanche and dissipation processes. The model yields a nonmonotonic flow law for a homogeneous flow, accounting for hysteretic solid-fluid transition and intermittency in quasistatic flows. For an inhomogeneous flow, the model predicts a generalized Bagnold shear stress revealing the interplay of two microscopic nonlocal mechanisms: collisions among correlated structures and the diffusion of fluidization within the structures. In describing a uniform flow down an incline, the model reproduces the hysteretic starting and stopping heights and the Pouliquen flow rule for mean velocity. Moreover, a dimensionless parameter reflecting the nonlocal effect on the flow is discovered, which controls the transition between Bagnold and creeping flow dynamics.

A Stochastic Description of Transition Between Granular Flow States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Decai; Sun Gang; Lu Kunquan

2007-01-01

Two-dimensional granular flow in a channel with small exit is studied by molecular dynamics simulations. We firstly define a key area near the exit, which is considered to be the choke area of the system. Then we observe the time variation of the local packing fraction and flow rate in this area for several fixed inflow rate, and find that these quantities change abruptly when the transition from dilute flow state to dense flow state happens. A relationship between the local flow rate and the local packing fraction in the key area is also given. The relationship is a continuous function under the fixed particle number condition, and has the characteristic that the flow rate has a maximum at a moderate packing fraction and the packing fraction is terminated at a high value with negative slope. By use of the relationship, the properties of the flow states under the fixed inflow rate condition are discussed in detail, and the discontinuities and the complex time variation behavior observed in the preexisting works are naturally explained by a stochastic process.

Capturing 2D transient surface data of granular flows against obstacles with an RGB-D sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Caviedes-Voullieme, Daniel; Juez, Carmelo; Murillo, Javier; Garcia-Navarro, Pilar

2014-05-01

Landslides are an ubiquitous natural hazard, and therefore human infrastructure and settlements are often at risk in mountainous regions. In order to better understand and predict landslides, systematic studies of the phenomena need to be undertaken. In particular, computational tools which allow for analysis of field problems require to be thoroughly tested, calibrated and validated under controlled conditions. And to do so, it is necessary for such controlled experiments to be fully characterized in the same terms as the numerical model requires. This work presents an experimental study of dry granular flow over a rough bed with topography which resembles a mountain valley. It has an upper region with a very high slope. The geometry of the bed describes a fourth order polynomial curve, with a low point with zero slope, and afterwards a short region with adverse slope. Obstacles are present in the lower regions which are used as model geometries of human structures. The experiments consisted of a sudden release a mass of sand on the upper region, and allowing it to flow downslope. Furthermore, it has been frequent in previous studies to measure final states of the granular mass at rest, but seldom has transient data being provided, and never for the entire field. In this work we present transient measurements of the moving granular surfaces, obtained with a consumer-grade RGB-D sensor. The sensor, developed for the videogame industry, allows to measure the moving surface of the sand, thus obtaining elevation fields. The experimental results are very consistent and repeatable. The measured surfaces clearly show the distinctive features of the granular flow around the obstacles and allow to qualitatively describe the different flow patterns. More importantly, the quantitative description of the granular surface allows for benchmarking and calibration of predictive numerical models, key in scaling the small-scale experimental knowledge into the field.

Flow of Dense Granular Suspensions on an Inclined Plane

Science.gov (United States)

Bonnoit, C.; Lanuza, J.; Lindner, A.; Clément, E.

2008-07-01

We investigate the flow behavior of dense granular suspensions, by the use of an inclined plane. The suspensions are prepared at high packing fractions and consist of spherical non-Brownian particles density matched with the suspending fluid. On the inclined plane, we perform a systematic study of the surface velocity as a function of the layer thickness for various flow rates and tilt angles. We perform measurements on a classical rheometer (parallel-plate rheometer) that is shown to be in good agreement with existing models, up to a volume fraction of 50%. Comparing these results, we show that the flow on an inclined plane can, up to a volume fraction of 50%, indeed be described by a purely viscous model in agreement with the results from classical rheometry.

Shear localization and effective wall friction in a wall bounded granular flow

Science.gov (United States)

Artoni, Riccardo; Richard, Patrick

2017-06-01

In this work, granular flow rheology is investigated by means of discrete numerical simulations of a torsional, cylindrical shear cell. Firstly, we focus on azimuthal velocity profiles and study the effect of (i) the confining pressure, (ii) the particle-wall friction coefficient, (iii) the rotating velocity of the bottom wall and (iv) the cell diameter. For small cell diameters, azimuthal velocity profiles are nearly auto-similar, i.e. they are almost linear with the radial coordinate. Different strain localization regimes are observed : shear can be localized at the bottom, at the top of the shear cell, or it can be even quite distributed. This behavior originates from the competition between dissipation at the sidewalls and dissipation in the bulk of the system. Then we study the effective friction at the cylindrical wall, and point out the strong link between wall friction, slip and fluctuations of forces and velocities. Even if the system is globally below the sliding threshold, force fluctuations trigger slip events, leading to a nonzero wall slip velocity and an effective wall friction coefficient different from the particle-wall one. A scaling law was found linking slip velocity, granular temperature in the main flow direction and effective friction. Our results suggest that fluctuations are an important ingredient for theories aiming to capture the interface rheology of granular materials.

A theoretical and numerical study of the flow of granular materials down an inclined plane. [Quarterly progress report, January--March 1995

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rajagopal, K.R.

1995-09-01

The mechanics of the flowing granular materials such as coal, agricultural products, fertilizers, dry chemicals, metal ores, etc. have received a great deal of attention as it has relevance to several important technological problems. Despite wide interest and more than five decades of experimental and theoretical investigations, most aspects of the behavior of flowing granular materials are still not well understood. So Experiments have to be devised which quantify and describe the non-linear behavior of the granular materials, and theories developed which can explain the experimentally observed facts. Here we carry out a systematic numerical study of the flow of granular materials down an inclined plane using the models that stem from both the continuum theory approach and the kinetic theory approach. We also look at the existence of solutions, multiplicity and stability of solutions to the governing equations.

Deformation-driven diffusion and plastic flow in amorphous granular pillars.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wenbin; Rieser, Jennifer M; Liu, Andrea J; Durian, Douglas J; Li, Ju

2015-06-01

We report a combined experimental and simulation study of deformation-induced diffusion in compacted quasi-two-dimensional amorphous granular pillars, in which thermal fluctuations play a negligible role. The pillars, consisting of bidisperse cylindrical acetal plastic particles standing upright on a substrate, are deformed uniaxially and quasistatically by a rigid bar moving at a constant speed. The plastic flow and particle rearrangements in the pillars are characterized by computing the best-fit affine transformation strain and nonaffine displacement associated with each particle between two stages of deformation. The nonaffine displacement exhibits exponential crossover from ballistic to diffusive behavior with respect to the cumulative deviatoric strain, indicating that in athermal granular packings, the cumulative deviatoric strain plays the role of time in thermal systems and drives effective particle diffusion. We further study the size-dependent deformation of the granular pillars by simulation, and find that different-sized pillars follow self-similar shape evolution during deformation. In addition, the yield stress of the pillars increases linearly with pillar size. Formation of transient shear lines in the pillars during deformation becomes more evident as pillar size increases. The width of these elementary shear bands is about twice the diameter of a particle, and does not vary with pillar size.

Traffic and Granular Flow '11

CERN Document Server

Buslaev, Alexander; Bugaev, Alexander; Yashina, Marina; Schadschneider, Andreas; Schreckenberg, Michael; TGF11

2013-01-01

This book continues the biannual series of conference proceedings, which has become a classical reference resource in traffic and granular research alike. It addresses new developments at the interface between physics, engineering and computational science. Complex systems, where many simple agents, be they vehicles or particles, give rise to surprising and fascinating phenomena.   The contributions collected in these proceedings cover several research fields, all of which deal with transport. Topics include highway, pedestrian and internet traffic, granular matter, biological transport, transport networks, data acquisition, data analysis and technological applications. Different perspectives, i.e. modeling, simulations, experiments and phenomenological observations, are considered.

Fundamental change of granular flows dynamics, deposition and erosion processes at sufficiently high slope angles: insights from laboratory experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Farin, M.; Mangeney, A.; Roche, O.

2013-12-01

Geophysical granular flows commonly interact with their substrate in various ways depending on the mechanical properties of the underlying material. Granular substrates, resulting from deposition of earlier flows or various geological events, are often eroded by avalanches [see Hungr and Evans, 2004 for review]. The entrainment of underlying debris by the flow is suspected to affect flow dynamics because qualitative and quantitative field observations suggest that it can increase the flow velocity and deposit extent, depending on the geological setting and flow type [Sovilla et al., 2006; Iverson et al., 2011]. Direct measurement of material entrainment in nature, however, is very difficult. We conducted laboratory experiments on granular column collapse over an inclined channel with and without an erodible bed of granular material. The controlling parameters were the channel slope angle, the granular column volume and its aspect ratio (i.e. height over length), the inclination of the column with respect to the channel base, the channel width, and the thickness and compaction of the erodible bed. For slope angles below a critical value θc, between 10° and 16°, the runout distance rf is proportional to the initial column height h0 and is unaffected by the presence of an erodible bed. On slopes greater than θc, the flow dynamics change fundamentally since a last phase of slow propagation develops at the end of the flow front deceleration, and prolongates significantly the flow duration. This phase has similar characteristics that steady, uniform flows. The slow propagation phase lasts longer for increasing column volume, column inclination with respect to the slope, and channel width, and for decreasing column aspect ratio. It is however independent of the maximum front velocity and, on an erodible bed, of the maximum depth of excavation within the bed. Both on rigid and erodible beds, the increase of the slow propagation phase duration has a crucial effect on

Viscoinertial regime of immersed granular flows

Science.gov (United States)

Amarsid, L.; Delenne, J.-Y.; Mutabaruka, P.; Monerie, Y.; Perales, F.; Radjai, F.

2017-07-01

By means of extensive coupled molecular dynamics-lattice Boltzmann simulations, accounting for grain dynamics and subparticle resolution of the fluid phase, we analyze steady inertial granular flows sheared by a viscous fluid. We show that, for a broad range of system parameters (shear rate, confining stress, fluid viscosity, and relative fluid-grain density), the frictional strength and packing fraction can be described by a modified inertial number incorporating the fluid effect. In a dual viscous description, the effective viscosity diverges as the inverse square of the difference between the packing fraction and its jamming value, as observed in experiments. We also find that the fabric and force anisotropies extracted from the contact network are well described by the modified inertial number, thus providing clear evidence for the role of these key structural parameters in dense suspensions.

Dynamic Deformation and Collapse of Granular Columns

Science.gov (United States)

Uenishi, K.; Tsuji, K.; Doi, S.

2009-12-01

Large dynamic deformation of granular materials may be found in nature not only in the failure of slopes and cliffs — due to earthquakes, rock avalanches, debris flows and landslides — but also in earthquake faulting itself. Granular surface flows often consist of solid grains and intergranular fluid, but the effect of the fluid may be usually negligible because the volumetric concentration of grains is in many cases high enough for interparticle forces to dominate momentum transport. Therefore, the investigation of dry granular flow of a mass might assist in further understanding of the above mentioned geophysical events. Here, utilizing a high-speed digital video camera system, we perform a simple yet fully-controlled series of laboratory experiments related to the collapse of granular columns. We record, at an interval of some microseconds, the dynamic transient granular mass flow initiated by abrupt release of a tube that contains dry granular materials. The acrylic tube is partially filled with glass beads and has a cross-section of either a fully- or semi-cylindrical shape. Upon sudden removal of the tube, the granular solid may fragment under the action of its own weight and the particles spread on a rigid horizontal plane. This study is essentially the extension of the previous ones by Lajeunesse et al. (Phys. Fluids 2004) and Uenishi and Tsuji (JPGU 2008), but the striped layers of particles in a semi-cylindrical tube, newly introduced in this contribution, allow us to observe the precise particle movement inside the granular column: The development of slip lines inside the column and the movement of particles against each other can be clearly identified. The major controlling parameters of the spreading dynamics are the initial aspect ratio of the granular (semi-)cylindrical column, the frictional properties of the horizontal plane (substrate) and the size of beads. We show the influence of each parameter on the average flow velocity and final radius

Transient response in granular quasi-two-dimensional bounded heap flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Hongyi; Ottino, Julio M; Lueptow, Richard M; Umbanhowar, Paul B

2017-10-01

We study the transition between steady flows of noncohesive granular materials in quasi-two-dimensional bounded heaps by suddenly changing the feed rate. In both experiments and simulations, the primary feature of the transition is a wedge of flowing particles that propagates downstream over the rising free surface with a wedge front velocity inversely proportional to the square root of time. An additional longer duration transient process continues after the wedge front reaches the downstream wall. The entire transition is well modeled as a moving boundary problem with a diffusionlike equation derived from local mass balance and a local relation between the flux and the surface slope.

Flexible fiber in interaction with a dense granular flow close to the jamming transition

Science.gov (United States)

Algarra, Nicolas; Leang, Marguerite; Lazarus, Arnaud; Vandembroucq, Damien; Kolb, Evelyne

2017-06-01

We propose a new fluid/structure interaction in the unusual case of a dense granular medium flowing against an elastic fiber acting as a flexible intruder. We study experimentally the reconfiguration and the forces exerted on the flexible fiber produced by the flow at a constant and low velocity of a two-dimensional disordered packing of grains close but below the jamming transition.

Granular flow considerations in the design of a cascade solid breeder reaction chamber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walton, O.R.

1983-10-01

Both horizontally and vertically oriented rotating chambers with granular material held on the inner surface by centrifugal action are examined. Modifications to the condition for controlled quasi-static flow on an incline plane, phi/sub w/ 0 +- 10 0 for ceramic particles and metal surfaces. For vertical orientations the maximum half-angle of the top cone is slightly less than the wall friction angle phi/sub w/ while the lower portion can have a half angle as large as (90 0 - phi/sub w). Percolation of fines through shearing granular solids is briefly discussed and recommended experimental and calculational studies to obtain a better understanding of this behavior are described

Flexible fiber in interaction with a dense granular flow close to the jamming transition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Algarra Nicolas

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We propose a new fluid/structure interaction in the unusual case of a dense granular medium flowing against an elastic fiber acting as a flexible intruder. We study experimentally the reconfiguration and the forces exerted on the flexible fiber produced by the flow at a constant and low velocity of a two-dimensional disordered packing of grains close but below the jamming transition.

Network flow model of force transmission in unbonded and bonded granular media.

Science.gov (United States)

Tordesillas, Antoinette; Tobin, Steven T; Cil, Mehmet; Alshibli, Khalid; Behringer, Robert P

2015-06-01

An established aspect of force transmission in quasistatic deformation of granular media is the existence of a dual network of strongly versus weakly loaded particles. Despite significant interest, the regulation of strong and weak forces through the contact network remains poorly understood. We examine this aspect of force transmission using data on microstructural fabric from: (I) three-dimensional discrete element models of grain agglomerates of bonded subspheres constructed from in situ synchrotron microtomography images of silica sand grains under unconfined compression and (II) two-dimensional assemblies of unbonded photoelastic circular disks submitted to biaxial compression under constant volume. We model force transmission as a network flow and solve the maximum flow-minimum cost (MFMC) problem, the solution to which yields a percolating subnetwork of contacts that transmits the "maximum flow" (i.e., the highest units of force) at "least cost" (i.e., the dissipated energy from such transmission). We find the MFMC describes a two-tier hierarchical architecture. At the local level, it encapsulates intraconnections between particles in individual force chains and in their conjoined 3-cycles, with the most common configuration having at least one force chain contact experiencing frustrated rotation. At the global level, the MFMC encapsulates interconnections between force chains. The MFMC can be used to predict most of the force chain particles without need for any information on contact forces, thereby suggesting the network flow framework may have potential broad utility in the modeling of force transmission in unbonded and bonded granular media.

Rheology of confined granular flows: scale invariance, glass transition, and friction weakening.

Science.gov (United States)

Richard, P; Valance, A; Métayer, J-F; Sanchez, P; Crassous, J; Louge, M; Delannay, R

2008-12-12

We study fully developed, steady granular flows confined between parallel flat frictional sidewalls using numerical simulations and experiments. Above a critical rate, sidewall friction stabilizes the underlying heap at an inclination larger than the angle of repose. The shear rate is constant and independent of inclination over much of the flowing layer. In the direction normal to the free surface, the solid volume fraction increases on a scale equal to half the flowing layer depth. Beneath a critical depth at which internal friction is invariant, grains exhibit creeping and intermittent cage motion similar to that in glasses, causing gradual weakening of friction at the walls.

An accurate tangential force-displacement model for granular-flow simulations: Contacting spheres with plastic deformation, force-driven formulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vu-Quoc, L.; Lesburg, L.; Zhang, X.

2004-01-01

An elasto-plastic frictional tangential force-displacement (TFD) model for spheres in contact for accurate and efficient granular-flow simulations is presented in this paper; the present TFD is consistent with the elasto-plastic normal force-displacement (NFD) model presented in [ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics 67 (2) (2000) 363; Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series A 455 (1991) (1999) 4013]. The proposed elasto-plastic frictional TFD model is accurate, and is validated against non-linear finite-element analyses involving plastic flows under both loading and unloading conditions. The novelty of the present TFD model lies in (i) the additive decomposition of the elasto-plastic contact area radius into an elastic part and a plastic part, (ii) the correction of the particles' radii at the contact point, and (iii) the correction of the particles' elastic moduli. The correction of the contact-area radius represents an effect of plastic deformation in colliding particles; the correction of the radius of curvature represents a permanent indentation after impact; the correction of the elastic moduli represents a softening of the material due to plastic flow. The construction of both the present elasto-plastic frictional TFD model and its consistent companion, the elasto-plastic NFD model, parallels the formalism of the continuum theory of elasto-plasticity. Both NFD and TFD models form a coherent set of force-displacement (FD) models not available hitherto for granular-flow simulations, and are consistent with the Hertz, Cattaneo, Mindlin, Deresiewicz contact mechanics theory. Together, these FD models will allow for efficient simulations of granular flows (or granular gases) involving a large number of particles

Spike Code Flow in Cultured Neuronal Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamura, Shinichi; Nishitani, Yoshi; Hosokawa, Chie; Miyoshi, Tomomitsu; Sawai, Hajime; Kamimura, Takuya; Yagi, Yasushi; Mizuno-Matsumoto, Yuko; Chen, Yen-Wei

2016-01-01

We observed spike trains produced by one-shot electrical stimulation with 8 × 8 multielectrodes in cultured neuronal networks. Each electrode accepted spikes from several neurons. We extracted the short codes from spike trains and obtained a code spectrum with a nominal time accuracy of 1%. We then constructed code flow maps as movies of the electrode array to observe the code flow of "1101" and "1011," which are typical pseudorandom sequence such as that we often encountered in a literature and our experiments. They seemed to flow from one electrode to the neighboring one and maintained their shape to some extent. To quantify the flow, we calculated the "maximum cross-correlations" among neighboring electrodes, to find the direction of maximum flow of the codes with lengths less than 8. Normalized maximum cross-correlations were almost constant irrespective of code. Furthermore, if the spike trains were shuffled in interval orders or in electrodes, they became significantly small. Thus, the analysis suggested that local codes of approximately constant shape propagated and conveyed information across the network. Hence, the codes can serve as visible and trackable marks of propagating spike waves as well as evaluating information flow in the neuronal network.

Confined granular flow in silos experimental and numerical investigations

CERN Document Server

Tejchman, Jacek

2013-01-01

  During confined flow of bulk solids in silos some characteristic phenomena can be created, such as: —         sudden and significant increase of wall stresses, —         different flow patterns, —         formation and propagation of wall and interior shear zones, —         fluctuation of pressures and, —         strong autogenous dynamic effects. These phenomena have not been described or explained in detail yet. The main intention of the experimental and theoretical research presented in this book is to explain the above mentioned phenomena in granular bulk solids and to describe them with numerical FE models verified by experimental results.

OPR1000 RCP Flow Coastdown Analysis using SPACE Code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Dong-Hyuk; Kim, Seyun [KHNP CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

The Korean nuclear industry developed a thermal-hydraulic analysis code for the safety analysis of PWRs, named SPACE(Safety and Performance Analysis Code for Nuclear Power Plant). Current loss of flow transient analysis of OPR1000 uses COAST code to calculate transient RCS(Reactor Coolant System) flow. The COAST code calculates RCS loop flow using pump performance curves and RCP(Reactor Coolant Pump) inertia. In this paper, SPACE code is used to reproduce RCS flowrates calculated by COAST code. The loss of flow transient is transient initiated by reduction of forced reactor coolant circulation. Typical loss of flow transients are complete loss of flow(CLOF) and locked rotor(LR). OPR1000 RCP flow coastdown analysis was performed using SPACE using simplified nodalization. Complete loss of flow(4 RCP trip) was analyzed. The results show good agreement with those from COAST code, which is CE code for calculating RCS flow during loss of flow transients. Through this study, we confirmed that SPACE code can be used instead of COAST code for RCP flow coastdown analysis.

Coexistence and transition between shear zones in slow granular flows.

Science.gov (United States)

Moosavi, Robabeh; Shaebani, M Reza; Maleki, Maniya; Török, János; Wolf, Dietrich E; Losert, Wolfgang

2013-10-04

We report experiments on slow granular flows in a split-bottom Couette cell that show novel strain localization features. Nontrivial flow profiles have been observed which are shown to be the consequence of simultaneous formation of shear zones in the bulk and at the boundaries. The fluctuating band model based on a minimization principle can be fitted to the experiments over a large variation of morphology and filling height with one single fit parameter, the relative friction coefficient μ(rel) between wall and bulk. The possibility of multiple shear zone formation is controlled by μ(rel). Moreover, we observe that the symmetry of an initial state, with coexisting shear zones at both side walls, breaks spontaneously below a threshold value of the shear velocity. A dynamical transition between two asymmetric flow states happens over a characteristic time scale which depends on the shear strength.

Spike Code Flow in Cultured Neuronal Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shinichi Tamura

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We observed spike trains produced by one-shot electrical stimulation with 8 × 8 multielectrodes in cultured neuronal networks. Each electrode accepted spikes from several neurons. We extracted the short codes from spike trains and obtained a code spectrum with a nominal time accuracy of 1%. We then constructed code flow maps as movies of the electrode array to observe the code flow of “1101” and “1011,” which are typical pseudorandom sequence such as that we often encountered in a literature and our experiments. They seemed to flow from one electrode to the neighboring one and maintained their shape to some extent. To quantify the flow, we calculated the “maximum cross-correlations” among neighboring electrodes, to find the direction of maximum flow of the codes with lengths less than 8. Normalized maximum cross-correlations were almost constant irrespective of code. Furthermore, if the spike trains were shuffled in interval orders or in electrodes, they became significantly small. Thus, the analysis suggested that local codes of approximately constant shape propagated and conveyed information across the network. Hence, the codes can serve as visible and trackable marks of propagating spike waves as well as evaluating information flow in the neuronal network.

Incorporation of velocity-dependent restitution coefficient and particle surface friction into kinetic theory for modeling granular flow cooling.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Yifei; Feng, Zhi-Gang

2017-12-01

Kinetic theory (KT) has been successfully used to model rapid granular flows in which particle interactions are frictionless and near elastic. However, it fails when particle interactions become frictional and inelastic. For example, the KT is not able to accurately predict the free cooling process of a vibrated granular medium that consists of inelastic frictional particles under microgravity. The main reason that the classical KT fails to model these flows is due to its inability to account for the particle surface friction and its inelastic behavior, which are the two most important factors that need be considered in modeling collisional granular flows. In this study, we have modified the KT model that is able to incorporate these two factors. The inelasticity of a particle is considered by establishing a velocity-dependent expression for the restitution coefficient based on many experimental studies found in the literature, and the particle friction effect is included by using a tangential restitution coefficient that is related to the particle friction coefficient. Theoretical predictions of the free cooling process by the classical KT and the improved KT are compared with the experimental results from a study conducted on an airplane undergoing parabolic flights without the influence of gravity [Y. Grasselli, G. Bossis, and G. Goutallier, Europhys. Lett. 86, 60007 (2009)10.1209/0295-5075/86/60007]. Our results show that both the velocity-dependent restitution coefficient and the particle surface friction are important in predicting the free cooling process of granular flows; the modified KT model that integrates these two factors is able to improve the simulation results and leads to better agreement with the experimental results.

Spreading of a granular droplet

Science.gov (United States)

Clement, Eric; Sanchez, Ivan; Raynaud, Franck; Lanuza, Jose; Andreotti, Bruno; Aranson, Igor

2008-03-01

The influence of controlled vibrations on the granular rheology is investigated in a specifically designed experiment in which a granular film spreads under the action of horizontal vibrations. A nonlinear diffusion equation is derived theoretically that describes the evolution of the deposit shape. A self-similar parabolic shape (the``granular droplet'') and a spreading dynamics are predicted that both agree quantitatively with the experimental results. The theoretical analysis is used to extract effective friction coefficients between the base and the granular layer under sustained and controlled vibrations. A shear thickening regime characteristic of dense granular flows is evidenced at low vibration energy, both for glass beads and natural sand. Conversely, shear thinning is observed at high agitation.

Tracing Thermal Creep Through Granular Media

Science.gov (United States)

Steinpilz, Tobias; Teiser, Jens; Koester, Marc; Schywek, Mathias; Wurm, Gerhard

2017-08-01

A temperature gradient within a granular medium at low ambient pressure drives a gas flow through the medium by thermal creep. We measured the resulting air flow for a sample of glass beads with particle diameters between 290 μ m and 420 μ m for random close packing. Ambient pressure was varied between 1 Pa and 1000 Pa. The gas flow was quantified by means of tracer particles during parabolic flights. The flow varies systematically with pressure between 0.2 cm/s and 6 cm/s. The measured flow velocities are in quantitative agreement to model calculations that treat the granular medium as a collection of linear capillaries.

Ill-posedness of Dynamic Equations of Compressible Granular Flow

Science.gov (United States)

Shearer, Michael; Gray, Nico

2017-11-01

We introduce models for 2-dimensional time-dependent compressible flow of granular materials and suspensions, based on the rheology of Pouliquen and Forterre. The models include density dependence through a constitutive equation in which the density or volume fraction of solid particles with material density ρ* is taken as a function of an inertial number I: ρ = ρ * Φ(I), in which Φ(I) is a decreasing function of I. This modelling has different implications from models relying on critical state soil mechanics, in which ρ is treated as a variable in the equations, contributing to a flow rule. The analysis of the system of equations builds on recent work of Barker et al in the incompressible case. The main result is the identification of a criterion for well-posedness of the equations. We additionally analyze a modification that applies to suspensions, for which the rheology takes a different form and the inertial number reflects the role of the fluid viscosity.

The Rolling Transition in a Granular Flow along a Rotating Wall

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aurélie Le Quiniou

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The flow of a dry granular material composed of spherical particles along a rotating boundary has been studied by the discrete element method (DEM. This type of flow is used, among others, as a process to spread particles. The flow consists of several phases. A compression phase along the rotating wall is followed by an elongation of the flow along the same boundary. Eventually, the particles slide or roll independently along the boundary. We show that the main motion of the flow can be characterized by a complex deformation rate of traction/compression and shear. We define numerically an effective friction coefficient of the flow on the scale of the continuum and show a strong decrease of this effective friction beyond a certain critical friction coefficient μ*. We correlate this phenomenon with the apparition of a new transition from a sliding regime to a rolling without sliding regime that we called the rolling transition; this dynamic transition is controlled by the value of the friction coefficient between the particle and the wall. We show that the spherical shape for the particles may represent an optimum for the flow in terms of energetic.

Long runout landslides: a solution from granular mechanics

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Stanislav eParez

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Large landslides exhibit surprisingly long runout distances compared to a rigid body sliding from the same slope, and the mechanism of this phenomena has been studied for decades. This paper shows that the observed long runouts can be explained quite simply via a granular pile flowing downhill, while collapsing and spreading, without the need for frictional weakening that has traditionally been suggested to cause long runouts. Kinematics of the granular flow is divided into center of mass motion and spreading due to flattening of the flowing mass. We solve the center of mass motion analytically based on a frictional law valid for granular flow, and find that center of mass runout is similar to that of a rigid body. Based on the shape of deposits observed in experiments with collapsing granular columns and numerical simulations of landslides, we derive a spreading length Rf~V^1/3. Spreading of a granular pile, leading to a deposit angle much lower than the angle of repose or the dynamic friction angle, is shown to be an important, often dominating, contribution to the total runout distance, accounting for the long runouts observed for natural landslides.

A Two-Phase Solid/Fluid Model for Dense Granular Flows Including Dilatancy Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Mangeney, Anne; Bouchut, Francois; Fernandez-Nieto, Enrique; Narbona-Reina, Gladys

2015-04-01

We propose a thin layer depth-averaged two-phase model to describe solid-fluid mixtures such as debris flows. It describes the velocity of the two phases, the compression/dilatation of the granular media and its interaction with the pore fluid pressure, that itself modifies the friction within the granular phase (Iverson et al., 2010). The model is derived from a 3D two-phase model proposed by Jackson (2000) based on the 4 equations of mass and momentum conservation within the two phases. This system has 5 unknowns: the solid and fluid velocities, the solid and fluid pressures and the solid volume fraction. As a result, an additional equation inside the mixture is necessary to close the system. Surprisingly, this issue is inadequately accounted for in the models that have been developed on the basis of Jackson's work (Bouchut et al., 2014). In particular, Pitman and Le replaced this closure simply by imposing an extra boundary condition at the surface of the flow. When making a shallow expansion, this condition can be considered as a closure condition. However, the corresponding model cannot account for a dissipative energy balance. We propose here an approach to correctly deal with the thermodynamics of Jackson's equations. We close the mixture equations by a weak compressibility relation involving a critical density, or equivalently a critical pressure. Moreover, we relax one boundary condition, making it possible for the fluid to escape the granular media when compression of the granular mass occurs. Furthermore, we introduce second order terms in the equations making it possible to describe the evolution of the pore fluid pressure in response to the compression/dilatation of the granular mass without prescribing an extra ad-hoc equation for the pore pressure. We prove that the energy balance associated with this Jackson closure is dissipative, as well as its thin layer associated model. We present several numerical tests for the 1D case that are compared to the

Two-phase flow characteristics analysis code: MINCS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Tadashi; Hirano, Masashi; Akimoto, Masayuki; Tanabe, Fumiya; Kohsaka, Atsuo.

1992-03-01

Two-phase flow characteristics analysis code: MINCS (Modularized and INtegrated Code System) has been developed to provide a computational tool for analyzing two-phase flow phenomena in one-dimensional ducts. In MINCS, nine types of two-phase flow models-from a basic two-fluid nonequilibrium (2V2T) model to a simple homogeneous equilibrium (1V1T) model-can be used under the same numerical solution method. The numerical technique is based on the implicit finite difference method to enhance the numerical stability. The code structure is highly modularized, so that new constitutive relations and correlations can be easily implemented into the code and hence evaluated. A flow pattern can be fixed regardless of flow conditions, and state equations or steam tables can be selected. It is, therefore, easy to calculate physical or numerical benchmark problems. (author)

Microfluidics of soft granular gels

Science.gov (United States)

Nixon, Ryan; Bhattacharjee, Tapomoy; Sawyer, W. Gregory; Angelini, Thomas E.

Microfluidic methods for encapsulating cells and particles typically involve drop making with two immiscible fluids. The main materials constraint in this approach is surface tension, creating inherent instability between the two fluids. We can eliminate this instability by using miscible inner and outer phases. This is achieved by using granular micro gels which are chemically miscible but physically do not mix. These microgels are yield stress materials, so they flow as solid plugs far from shear gradients, and fluidize where gradients are generated - near an injection nozzle for example. We have found that tuning the yield stress of the material by varying polymer concentration, device performance can be controlled. The solid like behavior of the gel allows us to produces infinitely stable jets that maintain their integrity and configuration over long distances and times. These properties can be combined and manipulated to produce discrete particulate bunches of an inner phase, flowing inside of an outer phase, well enough even to print a Morse code message suspended within flow chambers about a millimeter in diameter moving at millimeters a second.

HYPERELASTIC MODELS FOR GRANULAR MATERIALS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Humrickhouse, Paul W; Corradini, Michael L

2009-01-29

A continuum framework for modeling of dust mobilization and transport, and the behavior of granular systems in general, has been reviewed, developed and evaluated for reactor design applications. The large quantities of micron-sized particles expected in the international fusion reactor design, ITER, will accumulate into piles and layers on surfaces, which are large relative to the individual particle size; thus, particle-particle, rather than particle-surface, interactions will determine the behavior of the material in bulk, and a continuum approach is necessary and justified in treating the phenomena of interest; e.g., particle resuspension and transport. The various constitutive relations that characterize these solid particle interactions in dense granular flows have been discussed previously, but prior to mobilization their behavior is not even fluid. Even in the absence of adhesive forces between particles, dust or sand piles can exist in static equilibrium under gravity and other forces, e.g., fluid shear. Their behavior is understood to be elastic, though not linear. The recent “granular elasticity” theory proposes a non-linear elastic model based on “Hertz contacts” between particles; the theory identifies the Coulomb yield condition as a requirement for thermodynamic stability, and has successfully reproduced experimental results for stress distributions in sand piles. The granular elasticity theory is developed and implemented in a stand- alone model and then implemented as part of a finite element model, ABAQUS, to determine the stress distributions in dust piles subjected to shear by a fluid flow. We identify yield with the onset of mobilization, and establish, for a given dust pile and flow geometry, the threshold pressure (force) conditions on the surface due to flow required to initiate it. While the granular elasticity theory applies strictly to cohesionless granular materials, attractive forces are clearly important in the interaction of

Mathematical models of granular matter

CERN Document Server

Mariano, Paolo; Giovine, Pasquale

2008-01-01

Granular matter displays a variety of peculiarities that distinguish it from other appearances studied in condensed matter physics and renders its overall mathematical modelling somewhat arduous. Prominent directions in the modelling granular flows are analyzed from various points of view. Foundational issues, numerical schemes and experimental results are discussed. The volume furnishes a rather complete overview of the current research trends in the mechanics of granular matter. Various chapters introduce the reader to different points of view and related techniques. New models describing granular bodies as complex bodies are presented. Results on the analysis of the inelastic Boltzmann equations are collected in different chapters. Gallavotti-Cohen symmetry is also discussed.

Flow above and within granular media composed of spherical and non-spherical particles - using a 3D numerical model

Science.gov (United States)

Bartzke, Gerhard; Kuhlmann, Jannis; Huhn, Katrin

2016-04-01

The entrainment of single grains and, hence, their erosion characteristics are dependent on fluid forcing, grain size and density, but also shape variations. To quantitatively describe and capture the hydrodynamic conditions around individual grains, researchers commonly use empirical approaches such as laboratory flume tanks. Nonetheless, it is difficult with such physical experiments to measure the flow velocities in the direct vicinity or within the pore spaces of sediments, at a sufficient resolution and in a non-invasive way. As a result, the hydrodynamic conditions in the water column, at the fluid-porous interface and within pore spaces of a granular medium of various grain shapes is not yet fully understood. For that reason, there is a strong need for numerical models, since these are capable of quantifying fluid speeds within a granular medium. A 3D-SPH (Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics) numerical wave tank model was set up to provide quantitative evidence on the flow velocities in the direct vicinity and in the interior of granular beds composed of two shapes as a complementary method to the difficult task of in situ measurement. On the basis of previous successful numerical wave tank models with SPH, the model geometry was chosen in dimensions of X=2.68 [m], Y=0.48 [m], and Z=0.8 [m]. Three suites of experiments were designed with a range of particle shape models: (1) ellipsoids with the long axis oriented in the across-stream direction, (2) ellipsoids with the long axis oriented in the along-stream direction, and (3) spheres. Particle diameters ranged from 0.04 [m] to 0.08 [m]. A wave was introduced by a vertical paddle that accelerated to 0.8 [m/s] perpendicular to the granular bed. Flow measurements showed that the flow velocity values into the beds were highest when the grains were oriented across the stream direction and lowest in case when the grains were oriented parallel to the stream, indicating that the model was capable to simulate simultaneously

Dynamics of crater formations in immersed granular materials

Science.gov (United States)

Varas, G.; Vidal, V.; Géminard, J.

2009-12-01

Craters are part of the widespread phenomena observed in nature. Among the main applications to natural phenomena, aside from meteorite impact craters, are the formation and growth of volcanic edifices, by successive ejecta emplacement and/or erosion. The time evolution and dynamics play a crucial role here, as the competition between volcanic-jet mass-flux (degassing and ejecta) and crater-size evolution may control directly the eruptive regime. Crater morphology in dry granular material has been extensively studied, both experimentally and theoretically. Most of these studies investigate the final, steady crater shape resulting from the collision of solid bodies with the material surface and scaling laws are derived. In immersed granular material, craters generated by an underwater vortex ring, or underwater impact craters generated by landslide, have been reported. In a previous experimental study, Gostiaux et al. [Gran. Matt., 2002] have investigated the dynamics of air flowing through an immersed granular layer. They reported that, depending on the flow rate, the system exhibits two qualitatively different regimes: At small flow rate, the bubbling regime during which bubbles escape the granular layer independently one from another; At large flow rate, the open-channel regime which corresponds to the formation of a channel crossing the whole thickness of the granular bed through which air escapes almost continuously. At intermediate flow rate, a spontaneous alternation between these two regimes is observed. Here, we report the dynamics of crater formations at the free surface of an immersed granular bed, locally crossed by an ascending gas flow. We reproduce the experimental conditions of Gostiaux et al. (2002) in two dimensions: In a vertical Hele-Shaw cell, the crater consists of two sand piles which develop around the location of the gas emission. We observe that the typical size of the crater increases logarithmically with time, independently of the gas

Segregating photoelastic particles in free-surface granular flows

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Amalia; Vriend, Nathalie; Environmental; Industrial Fluid Dynamics Team

2017-11-01

We present results from a novel experimental set-up creating 2D avalanches of photoelastic discs. Two distinct hoppers supply either monodisperse or bidisperse particles at adjustable flow-rates into a 2 meter long, narrow acrylic chute inclined at 20°. For 20-40 seconds the avalanche maintains a steady-state that accelerates and thins downstream. The chute basal roughness is variable, allowing for different flow profiles. Using a set of polarizers and a high-speed camera, we visualize and quantify the forces due to dynamic interactions between the discs using photoelastic theory. Velocity and density profiles are derived from particle tracking at different distances from the discharge point and are coarse-grained to obtain continuous fields. With the access to both force information and dynamical properties via particle-tracking, we can experimentally validate existing mu(I) and non-local rheologies. As an extension, we probe the effect of granular segregation in bimodal mixtures by using the two separate inflow hoppers. We derive the state of segregation along the avalanche channel and measure the segregation velocities of each species. This provides insight in, and a unique validation of, the fundamental physical processes that drive segregation in avalanching geometries.

Concentration profiles in the wake of a sphere buried in a granular bed through which fluid flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guedes de Carvalho, J.R.F.; Delgado, J.M.P.Q.; Alves, M.A.

2005-01-01

The concentration distribution in the wake of a soluble sphere immersed in a granular bed of inerts has been obtained numerically, for transport by both advection and diffusion/dispersion. Fluid flow in the granular bed around the sphere was assumed to follow Darcy's law and, at each point, dispersion of solute was considered in both the cross-stream and stream-wise directions. The elliptic PDE equation, resulting from a differential material balance on the solute, has been solved numerically over a wide range of values of the relevant parameters. (authors)

Concentration profiles in the wake of a sphere buried in a granular bed through which fluid flows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guedes de Carvalho, J.R.F.; Delgado, J.M.P.Q.; Alves, M.A. [Porto Univ., Dpet. de Engenharia Quimica, Faculdade de Engenharia (Portugal)

2005-07-01

The concentration distribution in the wake of a soluble sphere immersed in a granular bed of inerts has been obtained numerically, for transport by both advection and diffusion/dispersion. Fluid flow in the granular bed around the sphere was assumed to follow Darcy's law and, at each point, dispersion of solute was considered in both the cross-stream and stream-wise directions. The elliptic PDE equation, resulting from a differential material balance on the solute, has been solved numerically over a wide range of values of the relevant parameters. (authors)

Self-Synchronization of Numerical Granular Flows: A Key to Musical Sands?

Science.gov (United States)

Staron, L.

2011-12-01

In some rare circumstances, sand flows at the surface of dunes are able to produce a loud sound known as "the song of dunes". The complex mechanisms at the source of these singing properties are far from fully understood. In this study, granular flows are simulated in two dimensions using the discrete Contact Dynamics algorithm. We show that the motion of grains at the surface of the flows exhibits a well-defined oscillation, the frequency of which is not described by the natural frequencies of the system, and does not depend on the rigid or erodible bottom condition. To explain this oscillation, we propose a simple synchronization model based on the existence of coherent structures, or clusters, at the surface of the flow, which yields successful prediction of the numerically observed frequencies. Our analysis gives consistent results when compared with field data from booming dunes, offers a possible explanation for the field observation of sound-generation velocity threshold, and provides new keys to the understanding of musical sands.

Toward high-efficiency and detailed Monte Carlo simulation study of the granular flow spallation target

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Han-Jie; Zhang, Zhi-Lei; Fu, Fen; Li, Jian-Yang; Zhang, Xun-Chao; Zhang, Ya-Ling; Yan, Xue-Song; Lin, Ping; Xv, Jian-Ya; Yang, Lei

2018-02-01

The dense granular flow spallation target is a new target concept chosen for the Accelerator-Driven Subcritical (ADS) project in China. For the R&D of this kind of target concept, a dedicated Monte Carlo (MC) program named GMT was developed to perform the simulation study of the beam-target interaction. Owing to the complexities of the target geometry, the computational cost of the MC simulation of particle tracks is highly expensive. Thus, improvement of computational efficiency will be essential for the detailed MC simulation studies of the dense granular target. Here we present the special design of the GMT program and its high efficiency performance. In addition, the speedup potential of the GPU-accelerated spallation models is discussed.

Dispersed plug flow model for upflow anaerobic sludge bed reactors with focus on granular sludge dynamics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kalyuzhnyi, S.V.; Fedorovich, V.V.; Lens, P.N.L.

2006-01-01

A new approach to model upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB)-reactors, referred to as a one-dimensional dispersed plug flow model, was developed. This model focusses on the granular sludge dynamics along the reactor height, based on the balance between dispersion, sedimentation and convection using

Collapse of tall granular columns in fluid

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Krishna; Soga, Kenichi; Delenne, Jean-Yves

2017-06-01

Avalanches, landslides, and debris flows are geophysical hazards, which involve rapid mass movement of granular solids, water, and air as a multi-phase system. In order to describe the mechanism of immersed granular flows, it is important to consider both the dynamics of the solid phase and the role of the ambient fluid. In the present study, the collapse of a granular column in fluid is studied using 2D LBM - DEM. The flow kinematics are compared with the dry and buoyant granular collapse to understand the influence of hydrodynamic forces and lubrication on the run-out. In the case of tall columns, the amount of material destabilised above the failure plane is larger than that of short columns. Therefore, the surface area of the mobilised mass that interacts with the surrounding fluid in tall columns is significantly higher than the short columns. This increase in the area of soil - fluid interaction results in an increase in the formation of turbulent vortices thereby altering the deposit morphology. It is observed that the vortices result in the formation of heaps that significantly affects the distribution of mass in the flow. In order to understand the behaviour of tall columns, the run-out behaviour of a dense granular column with an initial aspect ratio of 6 is studied. The collapse behaviour is analysed for different slope angles: 0°, 2.5°, 5° and 7.5°.

ComboCoding: Combined intra-/inter-flow network coding for TCP over disruptive MANETs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chien-Chia Chen

2011-07-01

Full Text Available TCP over wireless networks is challenging due to random losses and ACK interference. Although network coding schemes have been proposed to improve TCP robustness against extreme random losses, a critical problem still remains of DATA–ACK interference. To address this issue, we use inter-flow coding between DATA and ACK to reduce the number of transmissions among nodes. In addition, we also utilize a “pipeline” random linear coding scheme with adaptive redundancy to overcome high packet loss over unreliable links. The resulting coding scheme, ComboCoding, combines intra-flow and inter-flow coding to provide robust TCP transmission in disruptive wireless networks. The main contributions of our scheme are twofold; the efficient combination of random linear coding and XOR coding on bi-directional streams (DATA and ACK, and the novel redundancy control scheme that adapts to time-varying and space-varying link loss. The adaptive ComboCoding was tested on a variable hop string topology with unstable links and on a multipath MANET with dynamic topology. Simulation results show that TCP with ComboCoding delivers higher throughput than with other coding options in high loss and mobile scenarios, while introducing minimal overhead in normal operation.

Slow sedimentary processes on-a-chip: experiments on porous flow effects on granular bed creep

Science.gov (United States)

Houssais, M.; Maldarelli, C.; Shattuck, M.; Morris, J. F.

2017-12-01

Steep soils dynamics is hard to catch. they exhibit very slow granular creep most of the time, and sometimes, mostly under or after rain, turn into a landslide, a very fast avalanche flow.The conditions of transition from soil creep to avalanching remains a lot non-understood, and Safe Factor law (empirical criteria, function of rain intensity and duration). On another side, in marine fast deposition environments, compaction drives vertical porous flow, which makes bed shear resistance change, and form over time bed size patterns (pipes, dishes) or mechanical heterogeneities.Capturing how the slow creep dynamics depends on the porous flow would allow for much more accurate landscape evolution modeling.We present here preliminary results of an experimental investigation of one the major triggering condition for soils destabilization: rain infiltration, and more generally porous flow through a tilted granular bed. In a quasi-2D microfluidics channel, a flat sediment bed made of spherical particles is prepared, in fully submerged condition. It is thereafter tilted (at slope under critical slope of avalanching) and simultaneously put under vertical weak porous flow (well under the critical flow of liquefaction regarding positive pressure gradients). The two control parameters are varied, and local particles concentration and motion are measured. Interestingly, although staying in the sub-critical creeping regime, we observe an acceleration of the bed deformation downward, as the porous flow and the bed slope are increased, until the criteria for avalanching is reached. Those results appear to present similitudes with the case of tilted dry sediment bed under controlled vibrations. Consequently it opens the discussion about a potential universal model of landslides triggering due to frequent seismological and rainstorm events.

Spatial correlations in compressible granular flows

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Noije, T.P.C.; Ernst, M.H.; Brito, R.

The clustering instability in freely evolving granular fluids manifests itself in the density-density correlation function and structure factor. These functions are calculated from fluctuating hydrodynamics. As time increases, the structure factor of density fluctuations develops a maximum, which

Constitutive law of dense granular matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatano, Takahiro

2010-01-01

The frictional properties of dense granular matter under steady shear flow are investigated using numerical simulation. Shear flow tends to localize near the driving boundary unless the coefficient of restitution is close to zero and the driving velocity is small. The bulk friction coefficient is independent of shear rate in dense and slow flow, whereas it is an increasing function of shear rate in rapid flow. The coefficient of restitution affects the friction coefficient only in such rapid flow. Contrastingly, in dense and slow regime, the friction coefficient is independent of the coefficient of restitution and mainly determined by the elementary friction coefficient and the rotation of grains. It is found that the mismatch between the vorticity of flow and the angular frequency of grains plays a key role to the frictional properties of sheared granular matter.

Gravity-driven, dry granular flows over a loose bed in stationary and homogeneous conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Meninno, Sabrina; Armanini, Aronne; Larcher, Michele

2018-02-01

Flows involving solid particulates have been widely studied in recent years, but their dynamics are still a complex issue to model because they strongly depend on the interaction with the boundary conditions. We report on laboratory investigations regarding homogeneous and steady flows of identical particles over a loose bed in a rectangular channel. Accurate measurements were carried out through imaging techniques to estimate profiles of the mean velocity, solid concentration, and granular temperature for a large set of flow rates and widths. Vertical and transversal structures observed in the flow change as interparticle interactions become more collisional, and they depend on the bottom over which the flow develops. The lateral confinement has a remarkable effect on the flow, especially for narrow channels compared with the grain size, and a hydraulic analogy is able to show how the walls influence the mechanisms of friction and energy dissipation.

Gravity-driven granular flow in a silo: Characterizing local forces and rearrangements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thackray Emma

2017-01-01

Full Text Available While the gravity-driven flow of a granular material in a silo geometry can be modeled by the Beverloo equation, the mesoscale-level particle rearrangements and interactions that drive this flow are not wellunderstood. We have constructed a quasi-two-dimensional system of bidisperse, millimeter-scale disks with photoelastic properties that make force networks within the material visible. The system is contained in an acrylic box with an adjustable bottom opening. We can approach the clogging transition by adjusting this opening. By placing the system between cross-polarizers, we can obtain high-speed video of this system during flow, and extract intensity signals that can be used to identify and quantify localized, otherwise indeterminate forces. We can simultaneously track individual particle motions, which can be used to identify shear transformation zones in the system. In this paper, we present our results thus far.

Erosion of a wet/dry granular interface

Science.gov (United States)

Jop, Pierre; Lefebvre, Gautier

2013-04-01

To model the dynamic of landslides, the evolution of the interface between the erodible ground and the flowing material is still studied experimentally or numerically (ie. Mangeney et al. 2010, Iverson 2012). In some cases, the basal material is more cohesive than the flowing one. Such situation arises for example due to cementation or humidity. What are the exchange rates between these phases? What is the coupling between the evolution of the interface and the flow? We studied the erosion phenomenon and performed laboratory experiments to focus on the interaction between a cohesive unsaturated granular material and a dry granular flow. Both materials were spherical grains, the cohesion being induced by adding a given mass of liquid to the grains. Two configurations were explored: a circular aggregate submitted to a dry flow in a rotating drum, and a granular flow eroding a wet granular pile. First, we focused on the influence of the cohesion, controlled by the liquid properties, such as the surface tension and the viscosity. Then the flow characteristics were modified by varying the grain size and density. These results allowed us to present a model for the erosion mechanisms, based on the flow and fluid properties. The main results are the need to take into account the whole probability distribution the stress applied on the wet grains and that both the surface tension and the viscosity are important since they play a different roles. The latter is mainly responsible of the time scale of the dynamic of a wet grain, while the former acts as a threshold on the force distribution. In the second configuration, we could also control the inclination of the slope. This system supported the previous model and moreover revealed an interface instability, leading the formation of steep steps, which is a reminiscence of the cyclic-steps observed during river-channel incision (Parker and Izumi 2000). We will present the dynamics of such granular steps. [1] Mangeney, A., O

A theoretical and numerical study of the flow of granular materials down an inclined plane. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rajagopal, K.R.

1995-12-31

The mechanics of the flowing granular materials such as coal, agricultural products, at deal of attention as it has fertilizers, dry chemicals, metal ores, etc. have received a great deal of attention as it has relevance to several important technological problems. Despite wide interest and more than five decades of experimental and theoretical investigations, most aspects of the behavior of flowing granular materials are still not well understood. So Experiments have to be devised which quantify and describe the non-linear behavior of the modular materials, and theories developed which can explain the experimentally observed facts. As many models have been suggested for describing the behavior of granular materials, from both continuum and kinetic theory viewpoints, we proposed to investigate the validity and usefulness of representative models from both the continuum and kinetic theory points of view, by determining the prediction of such a theory, in a representative flow, with respect to existence, non-existence, multiplicity and stability of solutions. The continuum model to be investigated is an outgrowth of a model due to Goodman and Cowin (1971, 1972) and the kinetic theory models being those due to Jenkins and Richman (1985) and Boyle and Massoudi (1989). In this report we present detailed results regarding the same. Interestingly, we find that the predictions of all the theories, in certain parameter space associated with these models, are qualitatively similar. This ofcourse depends on the values assumed for various material parameters in the models, which as yet are unknown, as reliable experiments have not been carried out as yet for their determination.

2D granular flows with the μ(I) rheology and side walls friction: A well-balanced multilayer discretization

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Nieto, E. D.; Garres-Díaz, J.; Mangeney, A.; Narbona-Reina, G.

2018-03-01

We present here numerical modelling of granular flows with the μ (I) rheology in confined channels. The contribution is twofold: (i) a model to approximate the Navier-Stokes equations with the μ (I) rheology through an asymptotic analysis; under the hypothesis of a one-dimensional flow, this model takes into account side walls friction; (ii) a multilayer discretization following Fernández-Nieto et al. (2016) [20]. In this new numerical scheme, we propose an appropriate treatment of the rheological terms through a hydrostatic reconstruction which allows this scheme to be well-balanced and therefore to deal with dry areas. Based on academic tests, we first evaluate the influence of the width of the channel on the normal profiles of the downslope velocity thanks to the multilayer approach that is intrinsically able to describe changes from Bagnold to S-shaped (and vice versa) velocity profiles. We also check the well-balanced property of the proposed numerical scheme. We show that approximating side walls friction using single-layer models may lead to strong errors. Secondly, we compare the numerical results with experimental data on granular collapses. We show that the proposed scheme allows us to qualitatively reproduce the deposit in the case of a rigid bed (i.e. dry area) and that the error made by replacing the dry area by a small layer of material may be large if this layer is not thin enough. The proposed model is also able to reproduce the time evolution of the free surface and of the flow/no-flow interface. In addition, it reproduces the effect of erosion for granular flows over initially static material lying on the bed. This is possible when using a variable friction coefficient μ (I) but not with a constant friction coefficient.

Granular Materials and Risks In ISRU

Science.gov (United States)

Behringer, Robert P.; Wilkinson, R. Allen

2004-01-01

Working with soil, sand, powders, ores, cement and sintered bricks, excavating, grading construction sites, driving off-road, transporting granules in chutes and pipes, sifting gravel, separating solids from gases, and using hoppers are so routine that it seems straightforward to execute these operations on the Moon and Mars as we do on Earth. We discuss how little these processes are understood and point out the nature of trial-and-error practices that are used in today's massive over-design. Nevertheless, such designs have a high failure rate. Implementation and extensive incremental scaling up of industrial processes are routine because of the inadequate predictive tools for design. We present a number of pragmatic scenarios where granular materials play a role, the risks involved, what some of the basic issues are, and what understanding is needed to greatly reduce the risks. This talk will focus on a particular class of granular flow issues, those that pertain to dense materials, their physics, and the failure problems associated with them. In particular, key issues where basic predictability is lacking include stability of soils for the support of vehicles and facilities, ability to control the flow of dense materials (jamming and flooding/unjamming at the wrong time), the ability to predict stress profiles (hence create reliable designs) for containers such as bunkers or silos. In particular, stress fluctuations, which are not accounted for in standard granular design models, can be very large as granular materials flows, and one result is frequent catastrophic failure of granular devices.

A study of dilute to dense flow in a circulating fluidized bed

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ibsen, Claus Hübbe; Solberg, Tron; Hjertager, Bjørn H.

2001-01-01

are based on a Multiphase Computational Fluid Dynamics code, where the conservation equations for the solid phases are based on the kinetic theory of granular flow. The experimental data is used to evaluate the multiphase CFD code with alternative gas-solid drag models, which showed an improved agreement...

Three-tier multi-granularity switching system based on PCE

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yubao; Sun, Hao; Liu, Yanfei

2017-10-01

With the growing demand for business communications, electrical signal processing optical path switching can't meet the demand. The multi-granularity switch system that can improve node routing and switching capabilities came into being. In the traditional network, each node is responsible for calculating the path; synchronize the whole network state, which will increase the burden on the network, so the concept of path calculation element (PCE) is proposed. The PCE is responsible for routing and allocating resources in the network1. In the traditional band-switched optical network, the wavelength is used as the basic routing unit, resulting in relatively low wavelength utilization. Due to the limitation of wavelength continuity, the routing design of the band technology becomes complicated, which directly affects the utilization of the system. In this paper, optical code granularity is adopted. There is no continuity of the optical code, and the number of optical codes is more flexible than the wavelength. For the introduction of optical code switching, we propose a Code Group Routing Entity (CGRE) algorithm. In short, the combination of three-tier multi-granularity optical switching system and PCE can simplify the network structure, reduce the node load, and enhance the network scalability and survivability. Realize the intelligentization of optical network.

Three-dimensional granular model of semi-solid metallic alloys undergoing solidification: Fluid flow and localization of feeding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sistaninia, M.; Phillion, A.B.; Drezet, J.-M.; Rappaz, M.

2012-01-01

A three-dimensional (3-D) granular model which simulates fluid flow within solidifying alloys with a globular microstructure, such as that found in grain refined Al alloys, is presented. The model geometry within a representative volume element (RVE) consists of a set of prismatic triangular elements representing the intergranular liquid channels. The pressure field within the liquid channels is calculated using a finite elements (FEs) method assuming a Poiseuille flow within each channel and flow conservation at triple lines. The fluid flow is induced by solidification shrinkage and openings at grain boundaries due to deformation of the coherent solid. The granular model predictions are validated against bulk data calculated with averaging techniques. The results show that a fluid flow simulation of globular semi-solid materials is able to reproduce both a map of the 3-D intergranular pressure and the localization of feeding within the mushy zone. A new hot cracking sensitivity coefficient is then proposed. Based on a mass balance performed over a solidifying isothermal volume element, this coefficient accounts for tensile deformation of the semi-solid domain and for the induced intergranular liquid feeding. The fluid flow model is then used to calculate the pressure drop in the mushy zone during the direct chill casting of aluminum alloy billets. The predicted pressure demonstrates that deep in the mushy zone where the permeability is low the local pressure can be significantly lower than the pressure predicted by averaging techniques.

An automata model of granular materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutt, G.M.; Haff, P.K.

1990-01-01

In this paper a new modeling technique (the Lattice Grain Model) is presented for the simulation of two-dimensional granular systems involving large numbers of grains. These granular systems may include both high shear rate regions as well as static plugs of grains and cannot easily be handled within the framework of existing continuum theories such as soil mechanics. The Lattice Grain Model (LGrM) is similar to the Lattice Gas Model (LBM). This allows large simulations to be programmed onto a hypercube concurrent processor in a straightforward manner. However, it differs from LBM in that it includes the inelastic collisions and volume-filling properties of macroscopic grains. Examples to be presented will include Couette flow, flow through an hourglass, and gravity-driven flows around obstacles

Discrete Element Method simulations of standing jumps in granular flows down inclines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Méjean Ségolène

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a numerical set-up which uses Discrete Element Method to produce standing jumps in flows of dry granular materials down a slope in two dimensions. The grain-scale force interactions are modeled by a visco-elastic normal force and an elastic tangential force with a Coulomb threshold. We will show how it is possible to reproduce all the shapes of the jumps observed in a previous laboratory study: diffuse versus steep jumps and compressible versus incompressible jumps. Moreover, we will discuss the additional measurements that can be done thanks to discrete element modelling.

DEM GPU studies of industrial scale particle simulations for granular flow civil engineering applications

Science.gov (United States)

Pizette, Patrick; Govender, Nicolin; Wilke, Daniel N.; Abriak, Nor-Edine

2017-06-01

The use of the Discrete Element Method (DEM) for industrial civil engineering industrial applications is currently limited due to the computational demands when large numbers of particles are considered. The graphics processing unit (GPU) with its highly parallelized hardware architecture shows potential to enable solution of civil engineering problems using discrete granular approaches. We demonstrate in this study the pratical utility of a validated GPU-enabled DEM modeling environment to simulate industrial scale granular problems. As illustration, the flow discharge of storage silos using 8 and 17 million particles is considered. DEM simulations have been performed to investigate the influence of particle size (equivalent size for the 20/40-mesh gravel) and induced shear stress for two hopper shapes. The preliminary results indicate that the shape of the hopper significantly influences the discharge rates for the same material. Specifically, this work shows that GPU-enabled DEM modeling environments can model industrial scale problems on a single portable computer within a day for 30 seconds of process time.

Effect of Bed Depth on Granular Flow and Homogenization in a Vertical Bladed Mixer via Discrete Element Method

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Barczi, T.; Trávníčková, Tereza; Havlica, Jaromír; Kohout, M.

2015-01-01

Roč. 38, č. 7 (2015), s. 1195-1202 ISSN 0930-7516 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP105/12/0664 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : granular mixing * DEM * flow patterns Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 2.385, year: 2015

Rheology of granular flows immersed in a viscous fluid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amarsid, Lhassan

2015-01-01

We investigate the behavior of granular materials immersed in a viscous fluid by means of extensive simulations based on the Discrete Element Method for particle dynamics coupled with the Lattice Boltzmann method for the fluid. We show that, for a broad range of parameters such as shear rate, confining stress and viscosity, the internal friction coefficient and packing fraction are well described by a single 'visco-inertial' dimensionless parameter combining inertial and Stokes numbers. The frictional behavior under constant confining pressure is mapped into a viscous behavior under volume-controlled conditions, leading to the divergence of the effective normal and shear viscosities in inverse square of the distance to the critical packing fraction. The results are in excellent agreement with the experimental data of Boyer et al. (2011). The evolution of the force network in terms of connectivity and anisotropy as a function of the visco-inertial number, indicates that the increase of frictional strength is a direct consequence of structural anisotropy enhanced by both fluid viscosity and grain inertia. In view of application to a potential nuclear accident, we also study the fragmentation and flow of confined porous aggregates in a fluid under the action of local overpressures and pressure gradients as well as gravity-driven flow of immersed particles in an hourglass. (author)

Benchmarking NNWSI flow and transport codes: COVE 1 results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayden, N.K.

1985-06-01

The code verification (COVE) activity of the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) Project is the first step in certification of flow and transport codes used for NNWSI performance assessments of a geologic repository for disposing of high-level radioactive wastes. The goals of the COVE activity are (1) to demonstrate and compare the numerical accuracy and sensitivity of certain codes, (2) to identify and resolve problems in running typical NNWSI performance assessment calculations, and (3) to evaluate computer requirements for running the codes. This report describes the work done for COVE 1, the first step in benchmarking some of the codes. Isothermal calculations for the COVE 1 benchmarking have been completed using the hydrologic flow codes SAGUARO, TRUST, and GWVIP; the radionuclide transport codes FEMTRAN and TRUMP; and the coupled flow and transport code TRACR3D. This report presents the results of three cases of the benchmarking problem solved for COVE 1, a comparison of the results, questions raised regarding sensitivities to modeling techniques, and conclusions drawn regarding the status and numerical sensitivities of the codes. 30 refs

Storage and discharge of a granular fluid.

Science.gov (United States)

Pacheco-Martinez, Hector; van Gerner, Henk Jan; Ruiz-Suárez, J C

2008-02-01

Experiments and computational simulations are carried out to study the behavior of a granular column in a silo whose walls are able to vibrate horizontally. The column is brought to a steady fluidized state and it behaves similar to a hydrostatic system. We study the dynamics of the granular discharge through openings at the bottom of the silo in order to search for a Torricelli-like behavior. We show that the flow rate scales with the wall induced shear rate, and at high rates, the granular bed indeed discharges similar to a viscous fluid.

Instability-induced ordering, universal unfolding and the role of gravity in granular Couette flow

Science.gov (United States)

Alam, Meheboob; Arakeri, V. H.; Nott, P. R.; Goddard, J. D.; Herrmann, H. J.

2005-01-01

Linear stability theory and bifurcation analysis are used to investigate the role of gravity in shear-band formation in granular Couette flow, considering a kinetic-theory rheological model. We show that the only possible state, at low shear rates, corresponds to a "plug" near the bottom wall, in which the particles are densely packed and the shear rate is close to zero, and a uniformly sheared dilute region above it. The origin of such plugged states is shown to be tied to the spontaneous symmetry-breaking instabilities of the gravity-free uniform shear flow, leading to the formation of ordered bands of alternating dilute and dense regions in the transverse direction, via an infinite hierarchy of pitchfork bifurcations. Gravity plays the role of an "imperfection", thus destroying the "perfect" bifurcation structure of uniform shear. The present bifurcation problem admits universal unfolding of pitchfork bifurcations which subsequently leads to the formation of a sequence of a countably infinite number of "isolas", with the solution structures being a modulated version of their gravity-free counterpart. While the solution with a plug near the bottom wall looks remarkably similar to the shear-banding phenomenon in dense slow granular Couette flows, a "floating" plug near the top wall is also a solution of these equations at high shear rates. A two-dimensional linear stability analysis suggests that these floating plugged states are unstable to long-wave travelling disturbances.The unique solution having a bottom plug can also be unstable to long waves, but remains stable at sufficiently low shear rates. The implications and realizability of the present results are discussed in the light of shear-cell experiments under "microgravity" conditions.

Vortex jamming in superconductors and granular rheology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshino, Hajime; Nogawa, Tomoaki; Kim, Bongsoo

2009-01-01

We demonstrate that a highly frustrated anisotropic Josephson junction array (JJA) on a square lattice exhibits a zero-temperature jamming transition, which shares much in common with those in granular systems. Anisotropy of the Josephson couplings along the horizontal and vertical directions plays roles similar to normal load or density in granular systems. We studied numerically static and dynamic response of the system against shear, i.e. injection of external electric current at zero temperature. Current-voltage curves at various strength of the anisotropy exhibit universal scaling features around the jamming point much as do the flow curves in granular rheology, shear-stress versus shear-rate. It turns out that at zero temperature the jamming transition occurs right at the isotropic coupling and anisotropic JJA behaves as exotic fragile vortex matter: it behaves as a superconductor (vortex glass) in one direction, whereas it is a normal conductor (vortex liquid) in the other direction even at zero temperature. Furthermore, we find a variant of the theoretical model for the anisotropic JJA quantitatively reproduces universal master flow-curves of the granular systems. Our results suggest an unexpected common paradigm stretching over seemingly unrelated fields-the rheology of soft materials and superconductivity.

Analysis and Modeling of Structure Formation in Granular and Fluid-Solid Flows

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Eric

Granular and multiphase flows are encountered in a number of industrial processes with particular emphasis in this manuscript given to the particular applications in cement pumping, pneumatic conveying, fluid catalytic cracking, CO2 capture, and fast pyrolysis of bio-materials. These processes are often modeled using averaged equations that may be simulated using computational fluid dynamics. Closure models are then required that describe the average forces that arise from both interparticle interactions, e.g. shear stress, and interphase interactions, such as mean drag. One of the biggest hurdles to this approach is the emergence of non-trivial spatio-temporal structures in the particulate phase, which can significantly modify the qualitative behavior of these forces and the resultant flow phenomenology. For example, the formation of large clusters in cohesive granular flows is responsible for a transition from solid-like to fluid-like rheology. Another example is found in gas-solid systems, where clustering at small scales is observed to significantly lower in the observed drag. Moreover, there remains the possibility that structure formation may occur at all scales, leading to a lack of scale separation required for traditional averaging approaches. In this context, several modeling problems are treated 1) first-principles based modeling of the rheology of cement slurries, 2) modeling the mean solid-solid drag experienced by polydisperse particles undergoing segregation, and 3) modeling clustering in homogeneous gas-solid flows. The first and third components are described in greater detail. In the study on the rheology of cements, several sub-problems are introduced, which systematically increase in the number and complexity of interparticle interactions. These interparticle interactions include inelasticity, friction, cohesion, and fluid interactions. In the first study, the interactions between cohesive inelastic particles was fully characterized for the

The influence of the fractal particle size distribution on the mobility of dry granular materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vallejo Luis E.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This study presents an experimental analysis on the influence of the particle size distribution (psd on the mobility of dry granular materials. The psd obeys a power law of the form: N(L>d=kd-Df, where N is the number of particles with diameter L greater than a given diameter d, k is a proportionality constant, and Df is the fractal dimension of the psd. No laboratory or numerical study has been conducted to date analysing how a fractal psd influences the mobility of granular flows as in the case of rock avalanches. In this study, the flow characteristics of poly-dispersed granular materials that have a fractal psd were investigated in the laboratory. Granular mixtures having different fractal psd values were placed in a hollow cylinder. The cylinder was lifted and the distance of flow of the mixture was measured with respect to the original position of the cylinder. It was determined that the distance of flow of the mixtures was directly related to their fractal psd values. That is, the larger the distance of flow of the mixture, the larger is the fractal psd of the granular mixture tested. Thus, the fractal psd in dry granular mixtures seems to have a large influence on the easiness by which dry granular mixtures move in the field.

Similitude study of a moving bed granular filter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robert C. Brown; Huawei Shi; Gerald Colver; Saw-Choon Soo [Iowa State University, IA (United States)

2003-12-10

The goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of a moving bed granular filter designed for hot gas clean up. This study used similitude theory to devise experiments that were conducted at near-ambient conditions while simulating the performance of filters operated at elevated temperatures and pressures (850{sup o}C and 1000 kPa). These experiments revealed that the proposed moving bed granular filter can operate at high collection efficiencies, typically exceeding 99%, and low pressure drops without the need for periodic regeneration through the use of a continuous flow of fresh granular filter media in the filter. In addition, important design constraints were discovered for the successful operation of the proposed moving bed granular filter.

Inclusion of pressure and flow in the KITES MHD equilibrium code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raburn, Daniel; Fukuyama, Atsushi

2013-01-01

One of the simplest self-consistent models of a plasma is single-fluid magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium with no bulk fluid flow under axisymmetry. However, both fluid flow and non-axisymmetric effects can significantly impact plasma equilibrium and confinement properties: in particular, fluid flow can produce profile pedestals, and non-axisymmetric effects can produce islands and stochastic regions. There exist a number of computational codes which are capable of calculating equilibria with arbitrary flow or with non-axisymmetric effects. Previously, a concept for a code to calculate MHD equilibria with flow in non-axisymmetric systems was presented, called the KITES (Kyoto ITerative Equilibrium Solver) code. Since then, many of the computational modules for the KITES code have been completed, and the work-in-progress KITES code has been used to calculate non-axisymmetric force-free equilibria. Additional computational modules are required to allow the KITES code to calculate equilibria with pressure and flow. Here, the authors report on the approaches used in developing these modules and provide a sample calculation with pressure. (author)

Bridging Inter-flow and Intra-flow Network Coding for Video Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Jonas; Krigslund, Jeppe; Roetter, Daniel Enrique Lucani

2013-01-01

transmission approach to decide how much and when to send redundancy in the network, and a minimalistic feedback mechanism to guarantee delivery of generations of the different flows. Given the delay constraints of video applications, we proposed a simple yet effective coding mechanism, Block Coding On The Fly...

Evaluating Energy Flux in Vibrofluidized Granular Bed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. A. Sheikh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Granular flows require sustained input of energy for fluidization. A level of fluidization depends on the amount of heat flux provided to the flow. In general, the dissipation of the grains upon interaction balances the heat inputs and the resultant flow patterns can be described using hydrodynamic models. However, with the increase in packing fraction, the heat fluxes prediction of the cell increases. Here, a comparison is made for the proposed theoretical models against the MD simulations data. It is observed that the variation of packing fraction in the granular cell influences the heat flux at the base. For the elastic grain-base interaction, the predictions vary appreciably compared to MD simulations, suggesting the need to accurately model the velocity distribution of grains for averaging.

Rheological Behavior of Dense Assemblies of Granular Materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sundaresan, Sankaran; Tardos, Gabriel I.; Subramaniam, Shankar

2011-01-01

Assemblies of granular materials behave differently when they are owing rapidly, from when they are slowly deforming. The behavior of rapidly owing granular materials, where the particle-particle interactions occur largely through binary collisions, is commonly related to the properties of the constituent particles through the kinetic theory of granular materials. The same cannot be said for slowly moving or static assemblies of granular materials, where enduring contacts between particles are prevalent. For instance, a continuum description of the yield characteristics of dense assemblies of particles in the quasistatic ow regime cannot be written explicitly on the basis of particle properties, even for cohesionless particles. Continuum models for this regime have been proposed and applied, but these models typically assume that the assembly is at incipient yield and they are expressed in terms of the yield function, which we do not yet know how to express in terms of particle-level properties. The description of the continuum rheology in the intermediate regime is even less understood. Yet, many practically important flows in nature and in a wide range of technological applications occur in the dense flow regime and at the transition between dilute and dense regimes; the lack of validated continuum rheological models for particle assemblies in these regimes limits predictive modeling of such flows. This research project is aimed at developing such rheological models.

Relating water and air flow characteristics in coarse granular materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Rune Røjgaard; Canga, Eriona; Poulsen, Tjalfe Gorm

2013-01-01

Water pressure drop as a function of velocity controls w 1 ater cleaning biofilter operation 2 cost. At present this relationship in biofilter materials must be determined experimentally as no 3 universal link between pressure drop, velocity and filter material properties have been established. 4...... Pressure drop - velocity in porous media is much simpler and faster to measure for air than for water. 5 For soils and similar materials, observations show a strong connection between pressure drop – 6 velocity relations for air and water, indicating that water pressure drop – velocity may be estimated 7...... from air flow data. The objective of this study was, therefore, to investigate if this approach is valid 8 also for coarse granular biofilter media which usually consists of much larger particles than soils. In 9 this paper the connection between the pressure drop – velocity relationships for air...

Bubbling in vibrated granular films.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamankhan, Piroz

2011-02-01

With the help of experiments, computer simulations, and a theoretical investigation, a general model is developed of the flow dynamics of dense granular media immersed in air in an intermediate regime where both collisional and frictional interactions may affect the flow behavior. The model is tested using the example of a system in which bubbles and solid structures are produced in granular films shaken vertically. Both experiments and large-scale, three-dimensional simulations of this system are performed. The experimental results are compared with the results of the simulation to verify the validity of the model. The data indicate evidence of formation of bubbles when peak acceleration relative to gravity exceeds a critical value Γ(b). The air-grain interfaces of bubblelike structures are found to exhibit fractal structure with dimension D=1.7±0.05.

Granular Silo collapse: an experimental study

Science.gov (United States)

Clement, Eric; Gutierriez, Gustavo; Boltenhagen, Philippe; Lanuza, Jose

2008-03-01

We present an experimental work that develop some basic insight into the pre-buckling behavior and the buckling transition toward plastic collapse of a granular silo. We study different patterns of deformation generated on thin paper cylindrical shells during granular discharge. We study the collapse threshold for different bed height, flow rates and grain sizes. We compare the patterns that appear during the discharge of spherical beads, with those obtained in the axially compressed cylindrical shells. When the height of the granular column is close to the collapse threshold, we describe a ladder like pattern that rises around the cylinder surface in a spiral path of diamond shaped localizations, and develops into a plastic collapsing fold that grows around the collapsing silo.

Navier-Stokes hydrodynamics of thermal collapse in a freely cooling granular gas.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolvin, Itamar; Livne, Eli; Meerson, Baruch

2010-08-01

We show that, in dimension higher than one, heat diffusion and viscosity cannot arrest thermal collapse in a freely evolving dilute granular gas, even in the absence of gravity. Thermal collapse involves a finite-time blowup of the gas density. It was predicted earlier in ideal, Euler hydrodynamics of dilute granular gases in the absence of gravity, and in nonideal, Navier-Stokes granular hydrodynamics in the presence of gravity. We determine, analytically and numerically, the dynamic scaling laws that characterize the gas flow close to collapse. We also investigate bifurcations of a freely evolving dilute granular gas in circular and wedge-shaped containers. Our results imply that, in general, thermal collapse can only be arrested when the gas density becomes comparable with the close-packing density of grains. This provides a natural explanation to the formation of densely packed clusters of particles in a variety of initially dilute granular flows.

Residence-Time Distributions in Laminar Flows and During the Passage of Granular Solids Through Rotary Kilns

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beek, W. J.; De Ridder, H. J. [Technische Hogeschool, Delft (Netherlands); Houtman, J. P.W.; Kuiper, D. [Reactor Instituut, Delft (Netherlands)

1967-06-15

Data on residence-time distributions are important in the design of apparatus for the chemical industry. Radioactive tracers can be useful in many cases, e.g. where a pulse technique is desired. Two examples are given in which a pulse of radioactive tracer is used. The first example deals with the residence-time distribution of a laminar, Newtonian flow in an annulus. This problem arises especially in the extrusion and injection moulding of polymers and in the coating of wires with plastics. In these cases the fractions of polymer with long residence times may have other properties than the polymer that flows fastest, because the polymerization reaction or the degradation reactions go on during the process. Two difficulties are to be considered: (a) the tracer pulse (a radioactive Au-sol suspended in the liquid used) cannot be distributed over the cross-section in proportion to the local flow velocity, and (b) the outflowing liquid must be sampled discontinuously. Both effects have been studied and corrections are indicated. When these corrections are applied to the measured distribution curve, the result is in fair agreement with the calculated residence-time distribution. The second example considers the residence-time distribution in a granular solid (sand) passing through a rotary kiln. The response was measured at the outlet to a pulse at the inlet of radioactive material (sand impregnated with a solution of radioactive AuCl{sub 3}). When calculating the residence-time distribution from the experimental data, difficulties were encountered because the duration of the pulse was of the same order of magnitude as the average residence time. Considering this, it was found that the axial dispersion of the flow of sand could be described by an effective dispersion coefficient. This dispersion coefficient proved to be very low (order of magnitude 10{sup -5} m{sup 2}/s); hence, in practical situations, the flow of granular material through a rotary kiln may often be

Comparison of strongly heat-driven flow codes for unsaturated media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Updegraff, C.D.

1989-08-01

Under the sponsorship of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) is developing a performance assessment methodology for the analysis of long-term disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in unsaturated welded tuff. As part of this effort, SNL evaluated existing strongly heat-driven flow computer codes for simulating ground-water flow in unsaturated media. The three codes tested, NORIA, PETROS, and TOUGH, were compared against a suite of problems for which analytical and numerical solutions or experimental results exist. The problems were selected to test the abilities of the codes to simulate situations ranging from simple, uncoupled processes, such as two-phase flow or heat transfer, to fully coupled processes, such as vaporization caused by high temperatures. In general, all three codes were found to be difficult to use because of (1) built-in time stepping criteria, (2) the treatment of boundary conditions, and (3) handling of evaporation/condensation problems. A drawback of the study was that adequate problems related to expected repository conditions were not available in the literature. Nevertheless, the results of this study suggest the need for thorough investigations of the impact of heat on the flow field in the vicinity of an unsaturated HLW repository. Recommendations are to develop a new flow code combining the best features of these three codes and eliminating the worst ones. 19 refs., 49 figs

Force and flow at the onset of drag in plowed granular media.

Science.gov (United States)

Gravish, Nick; Umbanhowar, Paul B; Goldman, Daniel I

2014-04-01

We study the transient drag force FD on a localized intruder in a granular medium composed of spherical glass particles. A flat plate is translated horizontally from rest through the granular medium to observe how FD varies as a function of the medium's initial volume fraction, ϕ. The force response of the granular material differs above and below the granular critical state, ϕc, the volume fraction which corresponds to the onset of grain dilatancy. For ϕϕc, FD rapidly rises to a maximum and then decreases over further displacement. The maximum force for ϕ>ϕc increases with increasing drag velocity. In quasi-two-dimensional drag experiments, we use granular particle image velocimetry (PIV) to measure time resolved strain fields associated with the horizontal motion of a plate started from rest. PIV experiments show that the maxima in FD for ϕ>ϕc are associated with maxima in the spatially averaged shear strain field. For ϕ>ϕc the shear strain occurs in a narrow region in front of the plate, a shear band. For ϕϕc, surface particles move only during the formation of the shear band, coincident with the maxima in FD, after which the particles remain immobile until the sheared region reaches the measurement region.

Coded Ultrasound for Blood Flow Estimation Using Subband Processing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gran, Fredrik; Udesen, Jesper; Nielsen, Michael Bachamnn

2008-01-01

the excitation signal is broadband and has good spatial resolution after pulse compression. This means that time can be saved by using the same data for B-mode imaging and blood flow estimation. Two different coding schemes are used in this paper, Barker codes and Golay codes. The performance of the codes......This paper investigates the use of coded excitation for blood flow estimation in medical ultrasound. Traditional autocorrelation estimators use narrow-band excitation signals to provide sufficient signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) and velocity estimation performance. In this paper, broadband coded...... signals are used to increase SNR, followed by subband processing. The received broadband signal is filtered using a set of narrow-band filters. Estimating the velocity in each of the bands and averaging the results yields better performance compared with what would be possible when transmitting a narrow...

Development of a detailed core flow analysis code for prismatic fuel reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, R.G.

1990-01-01

The detailed analysis of the core flow distribution in prismatic fuel reactors is of interest for modular high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (MHTGR) design and safety analyses. Such analyses involve the steady-state flow of helium through highly cross-connected flow paths in and around the prismatic fuel elements. Several computer codes have been developed for this purpose. However, since they are proprietary codes, they are not generally available for independent MHTGR design confirmation. The previously developed codes do not consider the exchange or diversion of flow between individual bypass gaps with much detail. Such a capability could be important in the analysis of potential fuel block motion, such as occurred in the Fort St. Vrain reactor, or for the analysis of the conditions around a flow blockage or misloaded fuel block. This work develops a computer code with fairly general-purpose capabilities for modeling the flow in regions of prismatic fuel cores. The code, called BYPASS solves a finite difference control volume formulation of the compressible, steady-state fluid flow in highly cross-connected flow paths typical of the MHTGR

Granular Gases: Probing the Boundaries of Hydrodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldhirsch, I.

1999-01-01

The dissipative nature of the particle interactions in granular systems renders granular gases mesoscopic and bearing some similarities to regular gases in the ''continuum transition regime'' where shear rates and/or thermal gradients are very large). The following properties of granular gases support the above claim: (i). Mean free times are of the same order as macroscopic time scales (inverse shear rates); (ii). Mean free paths can be macroscopic and comparable to the system's dimensions; (iii). Typical flows are supersonic; (iv). Shear rates are typically ''large''; (v). Stress fields are scale (resolution) dependent; (vi). Burnett and super-Burnett corrections to both the constitutive relations and the boundary conditions are of importance; (vii). Single particle distribution functions can be far from Gaussian. It is concluded that while hydrodynamic descriptions of granular gases are relevant, they are probing the boundaries of applicability of hydrodynamics and perhaps slightly beyond

Anaerobic granular sludge and biofilm reactors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skiadas, Ioannis V.; Gavala, Hariklia N.; Schmidt, Jens Ejbye

2003-01-01

by the immobilization of the biomass, which forms static biofilms, particle-supported biofilms, or granules depending on the reactor's operational conditions. The advantages of the high-rate anaerobic digestion over the conventional aerobic wastewater treatment methods has created a clear trend for the change......-rate anaerobic treatment systems based on anaerobic granular sludge and biofilm are described in this chapter. Emphasis is given to a) the Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) systems, b) the main characteristics of the anaerobic granular sludge, and c) the factors that control the granulation process...

Anisotropy in cohesive, frictional granular media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luding, Stefan

2005-01-01

The modelling of cohesive, frictional granular materials with a discrete particle molecular dynamics is reviewed. From the structure of the quasi-static granular solid, the fabric, stress, and stiffness tensors are determined, including both normal and tangential forces. The influence of the material properties on the flow behaviour is also reported, including relations between the microscopic attractive force and the macroscopic cohesion as well as the dependence of the macroscopic friction on the microscopic contact friction coefficient. Related to the dynamics, the anisotropy of both structure and stress are exponentially approaching the maximum

Assessment of subchannel code ASSERT-PV for flow-distribution predictions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nava-Dominguez, A.; Rao, Y.F.; Waddington, G.M.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Assessment of the subchannel code ASSERT-PV 3.2 for the prediction of flow distribution. • Open literature and in-house experimental data to quantify ASSERT-PV predictions. • Model changes assessed against vertical and horizontal flow experiments. • Improvement of flow-distribution predictions under CANDU-relevant conditions. - Abstract: This paper reports an assessment of the recently released subchannel code ASSERT-PV 3.2 for the prediction of flow-distribution in fuel bundles, including subchannel void fraction, quality and mass fluxes. Experimental data from open literature and from in-house tests are used to assess the flow-distribution models in ASSERT-PV 3.2. The prediction statistics using the recommended model set of ASSERT-PV 3.2 are compared to those from previous code versions. Separate-effects sensitivity studies are performed to quantify the contribution of each flow-distribution model change or enhancement to the improvement in flow-distribution prediction. The assessment demonstrates significant improvement in the prediction of flow-distribution in horizontal fuel channels containing CANDU bundles

Assessment of subchannel code ASSERT-PV for flow-distribution predictions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nava-Dominguez, A., E-mail: navadoma@aecl.ca; Rao, Y.F., E-mail: raoy@aecl.ca; Waddington, G.M., E-mail: waddingg@aecl.ca

2014-08-15

Highlights: • Assessment of the subchannel code ASSERT-PV 3.2 for the prediction of flow distribution. • Open literature and in-house experimental data to quantify ASSERT-PV predictions. • Model changes assessed against vertical and horizontal flow experiments. • Improvement of flow-distribution predictions under CANDU-relevant conditions. - Abstract: This paper reports an assessment of the recently released subchannel code ASSERT-PV 3.2 for the prediction of flow-distribution in fuel bundles, including subchannel void fraction, quality and mass fluxes. Experimental data from open literature and from in-house tests are used to assess the flow-distribution models in ASSERT-PV 3.2. The prediction statistics using the recommended model set of ASSERT-PV 3.2 are compared to those from previous code versions. Separate-effects sensitivity studies are performed to quantify the contribution of each flow-distribution model change or enhancement to the improvement in flow-distribution prediction. The assessment demonstrates significant improvement in the prediction of flow-distribution in horizontal fuel channels containing CANDU bundles.

Structural evolution of a granular medium during simultaneous penetration

Science.gov (United States)

González-Gutiérrez, Jorge; Carreón, Yojana J. P.; Moctezuma, R. E.

2018-01-01

Typically, fluidized beds are granular systems composed of solid particles through which a fluid flows. They are relevant to a wide variety of disciplines such as physics, chemistry, engineering, among others. Generally, the fluidized beds are characterized by different flow regimes such as particulate, bubbling, slugging, turbulent, fast fluidization, and pneumatic conveying. Here, we report the experimental study of the structural evolution of a granular system due to simultaneous penetration of intruders in the presence of an upward airflow. We found that the granular medium evolves from the static state to the turbulent regime showing the coexistence of three regions in different flow regimes. Interestingly, the cooperative dynamic of intruders correlate with the formation of such regions. As a non-invasive method, we use lacunarity and fractal dimension to quantitatively describe the patterns arising within the system during the different stages of the penetration process. Finally, we found that our results would allow us to relate the evolution of the visual patterns appearing in the process with different physical properties of the system.

Recent advances in understanding deformation and flow of granular matter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mesarović Siniša Đ.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available By means of graph theory, we analyze the changes in topology of a granular assembly during deformation. The elementary mechanism of diffuse deformation consists of intermittent flips. We show that dilatancy is the direct result of: an increasing number of flips, and, elastic relaxation of particles upon flips. Both are dependent on particles' elastic potential energy prior to flip and after the flip. The latter is the result of non uniform distribution of interparticle forces in force chains. Next, we consider shear bands in granular materials. Formation of shear bands is accompanied by accompanied by massive rolling of particle. Since rolling is constrained by neighbors, a characteristic rolling correlation length appears. The transmission of rotations in a particular direction depends on the strength of the force chain branches in the direction of propagation and across. The maximum propagation distance is comparable to observed widths of shear bands. Finally, we turn to the question of vortex formation within shear bands and argue that vortex pattern minimizes the dissipation/resistance in granular fluid.

Technological effect of vibroprocessing by flows of organic granular media

Science.gov (United States)

Lebedev, V. A.; Shishkina, A. P.; Davydova, I. V.; Morozova, A. V.

2018-03-01

The analysis of approaches to modeling of vibrational processing by granulated media is carried out. The vibroprocessing model which provides effective finishing of the surfaces of the parts due to the stone fruit organic media granules is developed. The model is based on the granule flow energy impact on the surface being treated. As the main characteristic of the organic media processing, a specific volumetric metal scrap is used, the physical meaning of which is the increase rate in the thickness of the material removed from the surface at a given velocity and pressure of the medium. It is shown that the metal scrap depends on the medium flow velocity, the height of the loading column of the granular medium, and the conditions for the formation of a medium stationary circulation motion. Based on the analysis of the results of experimental studies of the influence of amplitude-frequency characteristics on the removal of metal in the process of vibroprocessing with abrasive granules, the dependence of the specific volume metal removal is proposed for organic media processing, taking into account the threshold amplitude and frequency of oscillations of the working chamber, at which the effect of surface treatment is observed. The established set of relationships describing the effective conditions for vibroprocessing with stone organic media was obtained using experimental data, which allows us to assume that the model obtained is valid.

FLASH: A finite element computer code for variably saturated flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baca, R.G.; Magnuson, S.O.

1992-05-01

A numerical model was developed for use in performance assessment studies at the INEL. The numerical model, referred to as the FLASH computer code, is designed to simulate two-dimensional fluid flow in fractured-porous media. The code is specifically designed to model variably saturated flow in an arid site vadose zone and saturated flow in an unconfined aquifer. In addition, the code also has the capability to simulate heat conduction in the vadose zone. This report presents the following: description of the conceptual frame-work and mathematical theory; derivations of the finite element techniques and algorithms; computational examples that illustrate the capability of the code; and input instructions for the general use of the code. The FLASH computer code is aimed at providing environmental scientists at the INEL with a predictive tool for the subsurface water pathway. This numerical model is expected to be widely used in performance assessments for: (1) the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study process and (2) compliance studies required by the US Department of Energy Order 5820.2A

Kinematics and statistics of dense, slow granular flow through vertical channels

Science.gov (United States)

Ananda, K. S.; Moka, Sudheshna; Nott, Prabhu R.

We have investigated the flow of dry granular materials through vertical channels in the regime of dense slow flow using video imaging of the particles adjacent to a transparent wall. Using an image processing technique based on particle tracking velocimetry, the video movies were analysed to obtain the velocities of individual particles. Experiments were conducted in two- and three-dimensional channels. In the latter, glass beads and mustard seeds were used as model granular materials, and their translational velocities were measured. In the former, aluminium disks with a dark diametral stripe were used and their translational velocities and spin were measured. Experiments in the three-dimensional channels were conducted for a range of the channel width W, and for smooth and rough sidewalls. As in earlier studies, we find that shearing takes place predominantly in thin layers adjacent to the walls, while the rest of the material appears to move as a plug. However, there are large velocity fluctuations even in the plug, where the macroscopic deformation rate is negligibly small. The thickness of the shear layer, scaled by the particle diameter dp, increases weakly with W/dp. The experimental data for the velocity field are in good agreement with the Cosserat plasticity model proposed recently. We also measured the mean spin of the particles in the two-dimensional channel, and its deviation from half the vorticity. There is a clear, measurable deviation, which too is in qualitative agreement with the Cosserat plasticity model. The statistics of particle velocity and spin fluctuations in the two-dimensional channel were analysed by determining their probability distribution function, and their spatial and temporal correlation. They were all found to be broadly similar to previous observations for three-dimensional channels, but some differences are evident. The spatial correlation of the velocity fluctuations are much stronger in the two-dimensional channel, implying

Granular filtration for airborne particles : correlation between experiments and models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Golshahi, L.; Tan, Z. [Calgary Univ., AB (Canada). Schulich School of Engineering, Mechanical and Manufacturing Dept.; Abedi, J. [Calgary Univ., AB (Canada). Schulich School of Engineering, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Dept.

2009-10-15

A new design for a packed bed granular filter was presented. The cylindrical packed bed was designed to filter particles in the range of approximately 10 nm to 15 {mu}m in diameter in different kinetic conditions and configurations. The aim of the study was to develop a precise empirical model to predict the filtration efficiency of the packed beds. A collision-type atomizer was used to generate polydisperse sodium chloride aerosol particles. The effect of flow rates was studied using a thermal mass flow meter. A regression analysis technique was used to determine the correlation between single granule and total packed bed efficiency for the entire granular filter. The experimental data were then compared with results obtained from the theoretical analysis. The least square method was used to correlate experimental data and to develop generalized equations for single granule efficiency. The study showed that the granular filter media has a high filtration efficiency for both micron and submicron particles. It was concluded that the effect of media thickness was more significant at higher flow rates than at lower flow rates. 10 refs., 3 figs.

Biodegradation of phenol in batch and continuous flow microbial fuel cells with rod and granular graphite electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Lyman; Nemati, Mehdi; Predicala, Bernardo

2018-01-01

Phenol biodegradation was evaluated in batch and continuous flow microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In batch-operated MFCs, biodegradation of 100-1000 mg L -1 phenol was four to six times faster when graphite granules were used instead of rods (3.5-4.8 mg L -1  h -1 vs 0.5-0.9 mg L -1  h -1 ). Similarly maximum phenol biodegradation rates in continuous MFCs with granular and single-rod electrodes were 11.5 and 0.8 mg L -1  h -1 , respectively. This superior performance was also evident in terms of electrochemical outputs, whereby continuous flow MFCs with granular graphite electrodes achieved maximum current and power densities (3444.4 mA m -3 and 777.8 mW m -3 ) that were markedly higher than those with single-rod electrodes (37.3 mA m -3 and 0.8 mW m -3 ). Addition of neutral red enhanced the electrochemical outputs to 5714.3 mA m -3 and 1428.6 mW m -3 . Using the data generated in the continuous flow MFC, biokinetic parameters including μ m , K S , Y and K e were determined as 0.03 h -1 , 24.2 mg L -1 , 0.25 mg cell (mg phenol) -1 and 3.7 × 10 -4  h -1 , respectively. Access to detailed kinetic information generated in MFC environmental conditions is critical in the design, operation and control of large-scale treatment systems utilizing MFC technology.

The Effect of Rotational Speed on Granular Flow in a Vertical Bladed Mixer

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Havlica, Jaromír; Jirounková, K.; Trávníčková, Tereza; Kohout, M.

2015-01-01

Roč. 280, AUG (2015), s. 180-190 ISSN 0032-5910 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP105/12/0664 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : DEM * granular mixing * granular dynamics Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 2.759, year: 2015

Effect of particle stiffness on contact dynamics and rheology in a dense granular flow

Science.gov (United States)

Bharathraj, S.; Kumaran, V.

2018-01-01

Dense granular flows have been well described by the Bagnold rheology, even when the particles are in the multibody contact regime and the coordination number is greater than 1. This is surprising, because the Bagnold law should be applicable only in the instantaneous collision regime, where the time between collisions is much larger than the period of a collision. Here, the effect of particle stiffness on rheology is examined. It is found that there is a rheological threshold between a particle stiffness of 104-105 for the linear contact model and 105-106 for the Hertzian contact model above which Bagnold rheology (stress proportional to square of the strain rate) is valid and below which there is a power-law rheology, where all components of the stress and the granular temperature are proportional to a power of the strain rate that is less then 2. The system is in the multibody contact regime at the rheological threshold. However, the contact energy per particle is less than the kinetic energy per particle above the rheological threshold, and it becomes larger than the kinetic energy per particle below the rheological threshold. The distribution functions for the interparticle forces and contact energies are also analyzed. The distribution functions are invariant with height, but they do depend on the contact model. The contact energy distribution functions are well fitted by Gamma distributions. There is a transition in the shape of the distribution function as the particle stiffness is decreased from 107 to 106 for the linear model and 108 to 107 for the Hertzian model, when the contact number exceeds 1. Thus, the transition in the distribution function correlates to the contact regime threshold from the binary to multibody contact regime, and is clearly different from the rheological threshold. An order-disorder transition has recently been reported in dense granular flows. The Bagnold rheology applies for both the ordered and disordered states, even though

Statistical and visual probing of evolving granular assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Laurence M.

2002-01-01

The majority of processes in the chemical and allied industries involve the storage and conveyancing of granular material, the physics of which is still not particularly well understood. Whilst some non-invasive techniques have been developed, much experimental work unfortunately interferes with the fields being investigated. For this reason and in conjunction with increasing computing power, there has been an increase in simulation based studies. Granular dynamics simulations, being based upon inter-particle interaction laws, give the potential to investigate assemblies at the 'micro-level' and have been successful in modelling process conditions in a number of granular flow situations. To date, most analyses of these simulations are essentially static in nature involving 'time snapshots'. However, in a granular dynamics simulation there is a wealth of data available on a time referenced basis which has the potential to allow a quantitative analysis of the dynamics of assembly evolution. This dissertation describes the development and application of a toolkit for post-simulation analysis. However, the utilities within the toolkit would be equally applicable to large experimental data sets should such data sets exist. The application of the toolset focuses largely on the dynamics of heap evolution in both 2D and 3D with some supportive 3D work on hopper discharge. A major part of the work involves the application of time series techniques (including the wavelet transform) in the context of variable coupling during avalanching. Segregation by self-diffusion receives particular attention and a new mechanism is proposed by which segregation by particle size takes place in the boundary layer of a low impact feed heap displaying a clear velocity gradient during discrete avalanching. Periodic lateral surging is shown to enforce mixing for a high impact feed, a phenomenon which appears to switch off below a certain feed impact. Segregation by self-diffusion is also shown

Implementation and testing of the CFDS-FLOW3D code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, B.L.

1994-03-01

FLOW3D is a multi-purpose, transient fluid dynamics and heat transfer code developed by Computational Fluid Dynamics Services (CFDS), a branch of AEA Technology, based at Harwell. The code is supplied with a SUN-based operating environment consisting of an interactive grid generator SOPHIA and a post-processor JASPER for graphical display of results. Both SOPHIA and JASPER are extensions of the support software originally written for the ASTEC code, also promoted by CFDS. The latest release of FLOW3D contains well-tested turbulence and combustion models and, in a less-developed form, a multi-phase modelling potential. This document describes briefly the modelling capabilities of FLOW3D (Release 3.2) and outlines implementation procedures for the VAX, CRAY and CONVEX computer systems. Additional remarks are made concerning the in-house support programs which have been specially written in order to adapt existing ASTEC input data for use with FLOW3D; these programs operate within a VAX-VMS environment. Three sample calculations have been performed and results compared with those obtained previously using the ASTEC code, and checked against other available data, where appropriate. (author) 35 figs., 3 tabs., 42 refs

Martian gullies: possible formation mechanism by dry granular material..

Science.gov (United States)

Cedillo-Flores, Y.; Durand-Manterola, H. J.

section Some of the geomorphological features in Mars are the gullies Some theories developed tried explain its origin either by liquid water liquid carbon dioxide or flows of dry granular material We made a comparative analysis of the Martian gullies with the terrestrial ones We propose that the mechanism of formation of the gullies is as follows In winter CO 2 snow mixed with sand falls in the terrain In spring the CO 2 snow sublimate and gaseous CO 2 make fluid the sand which flows like liquid eroding the terrain and forming the gullies By experimental work with dry granular material we simulated the development of the Martian gullies injecting air in the granular material section We present the characteristics of some terrestrial gullies forms at cold environment sited at Nevado de Toluca Volcano near Toluca City M e xico We compare them with Martian gullies choose from four different areas to target goal recognize or to distinguish to identify possible processes evolved in its formation Also we measured the lengths of those Martian gullies and the range was from 24 m to 1775 meters Finally we present results of our experimental work at laboratory with dry granular material

A trans-phase granular continuum relation and its use in simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Kamrin, Ken; Dunatunga, Sachith; Askari, Hesam

The ability to model a large granular system as a continuum would offer tremendous benefits in computation time compared to discrete particle methods. However, two infamous problems arise in the pursuit of this vision: (i) the constitutive relation for granular materials is still unclear and hotly debated, and (ii) a model and corresponding numerical method must wear ``many hats'' as, in general circumstances, it must be able to capture and accurately represent the material as it crosses through its collisional, dense-flowing, and solid-like states. Here we present a minimal trans-phase model, merging an elastic response beneath a fictional yield criterion, a mu(I) rheology for liquid-like flow above the static yield criterion, and a disconnection rule to model separation of the grains into a low-temperature gas. We simulate our model with a meshless method (in high strain/mixing cases) and the finite-element method. It is able to match experimental data in many geometries, including collapsing columns, impact on granular beds, draining silos, and granular drag problems.

Effects of Noise and Vibration on the Solid to Liquid Fluidization Transition in Small Dense Granular Systems Under Shear

Science.gov (United States)

Melhus, Martin Frederic

2011-07-01

Granular materials exhibit bulk properties that are distinct from conventional solids, liq- uids, and gases, due to the dissipative nature of the inter-granular forces. Understanding the fundamentals of granular materials draws upon and gives insight into many fields at the current frontiers of physics, such as plasticity of solids, fracture and friction, com- plex systems such as colloids, foams and suspensions, and a variety of biological systems. Particulate flows are widespread in geophysics, and are also essential to many industries. Despite the importance of these phenomena, we lack a theoretical model that explains most behaviors of granular materials. Since granular assemblies are highly dissipative, they are often far from mechanical equilibrium, making most classical analyses inappli- cable. A theory for dilute granular systems exists, but for dense granular systems (by far the majority of granular systems in the real world) no comparable theory is accepted. We approach this problem by examining the fluidization, or transition from solid to liquid, in dense granular systems. In this study, the separate effects of random noise and vibration on the static to flowing transition of a dense granular assembly under planar shear is studied numerically using soft contact particle dynamics simulations in two dimensions. We focus on small systems in a thin planar Couette cell, examining the bistable region while increasing shear, with varying amounts of random noise or vibration, and determine the statistics of the shear required for the onset of flow. We find that the applied power is the key parameter in determining the magnitude of the effects of the noise or vibration, with vibration frequency also having an influence. Similarities and differences between noise and vibration are determined, and the results compare favorably with a two phase model for dense granular flow.

Development of a detailed core flow analysis code for prismatic fuel reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, R.G.

1990-01-01

The development of a computer code for the analysis of the detailed flow of helium in prismatic fuel reactors is reported. The code, called BYPASS, solves, a finite difference control volume formulation of the compressible, steady state fluid flow in highly cross-connected flow paths typical of the Modular High-Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (MHTGR). The discretization of the flow in a core region typically considers the main coolant flow paths, the bypass gap flow paths, and the crossflow connections between them. 16 refs., 5 figs

Granular contact dynamics using mathematical programming methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krabbenhoft, K.; Lyamin, A. V.; Huang, J.

2012-01-01

granular contact dynamics formulation uses an implicit time discretization, thus allowing for large time steps. Moreover, in the limit of an infinite time step, the general dynamic formulation reduces to a static formulation that is useful in simulating common quasi-static problems such as triaxial tests...... is developed and it is concluded that the associated sliding rule, in the context of granular contact dynamics, may be viewed as an artifact of the time discretization and that the use of an associated flow rule at the particle scale level generally is physically acceptable. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights...

Towards Effective Intra-flow Network Coding in Software Defined Wireless Mesh Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donghai Zhu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs have potential to provide convenient broadband wireless Internet access to mobile users.With the support of Software-Defined Networking (SDN paradigm that separates control plane and data plane, WMNs can be easily deployed and managed. In addition, by exploiting the broadcast nature of the wireless medium and the spatial diversity of multi-hop wireless networks, intra-flow network coding has shown a greater benefit in comparison with traditional routing paradigms in data transmission for WMNs. In this paper, we develop a novel OpenCoding protocol, which combines the SDN technique with intra-flow network coding for WMNs. Our developed protocol can simplify the deployment and management of the network and improve network performance. In OpenCoding, a controller that works on the control plane makes routing decisions for mesh routers and the hop-by-hop forwarding function is replaced by network coding functions in data plane. We analyze the overhead of OpenCoding. Through a simulation study, we show the effectiveness of the OpenCoding protocol in comparison with existing schemes. Our data shows that OpenCoding outperforms both traditional routing and intra-flow network coding schemes.

Multiphase integral reacting flow computer code (ICOMFLO): User`s guide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, S.L.; Lottes, S.A.; Petrick, M.

1997-11-01

A copyrighted computational fluid dynamics computer code, ICOMFLO, has been developed for the simulation of multiphase reacting flows. The code solves conservation equations for gaseous species and droplets (or solid particles) of various sizes. General conservation laws, expressed by elliptic type partial differential equations, are used in conjunction with rate equations governing the mass, momentum, enthalpy, species, turbulent kinetic energy, and turbulent dissipation. Associated phenomenological submodels of the code include integral combustion, two parameter turbulence, particle evaporation, and interfacial submodels. A newly developed integral combustion submodel replacing an Arrhenius type differential reaction submodel has been implemented to improve numerical convergence and enhance numerical stability. A two parameter turbulence submodel is modified for both gas and solid phases. An evaporation submodel treats not only droplet evaporation but size dispersion. Interfacial submodels use correlations to model interfacial momentum and energy transfer. The ICOMFLO code solves the governing equations in three steps. First, a staggered grid system is constructed in the flow domain. The staggered grid system defines gas velocity components on the surfaces of a control volume, while the other flow properties are defined at the volume center. A blocked cell technique is used to handle complex geometry. Then, the partial differential equations are integrated over each control volume and transformed into discrete difference equations. Finally, the difference equations are solved iteratively by using a modified SIMPLER algorithm. The results of the solution include gas flow properties (pressure, temperature, density, species concentration, velocity, and turbulence parameters) and particle flow properties (number density, temperature, velocity, and void fraction). The code has been used in many engineering applications, such as coal-fired combustors, air

A thermodynamically consistent model for granular-fluid mixtures considering pore pressure evolution and hypoplastic behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Hess, Julian; Wang, Yongqi

2016-11-01

A new mixture model for granular-fluid flows, which is thermodynamically consistent with the entropy principle, is presented. The extra pore pressure described by a pressure diffusion equation and the hypoplastic material behavior obeying a transport equation are taken into account. The model is applied to granular-fluid flows, using a closing assumption in conjunction with the dynamic fluid pressure to describe the pressure-like residual unknowns, hereby overcoming previous uncertainties in the modeling process. Besides the thermodynamically consistent modeling, numerical simulations are carried out and demonstrate physically reasonable results, including simple shear flow in order to investigate the vertical distribution of the physical quantities, and a mixture flow down an inclined plane by means of the depth-integrated model. Results presented give insight in the ability of the deduced model to capture the key characteristics of granular-fluid flows. We acknowledge the support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) for this work within the Project Number WA 2610/3-1.

Granular flow in static mixers by coupled DEM/CFD approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pezo Lato

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The mixing process greatly influence the mixing efficiency, as well as the quality and the price of the intermediate and/or the final product. Static mixer is used for premixing action before the main mixing process, for significant reduction of mixing time and energy consumption. This type of premixing action is not investigated in detail in the open literature. In this article, the novel numerical approach called Discrete Element Method is used for modelling of granular flow in multiple static mixer applications (1 - 3 Komax or Ross mixing elements were utilized, while the Computational Fluid Dynamic method was chosen for fluid flow modelling, using the Eulerian multiphase model. The main aim of this article is to predict the behaviour of granules being gravitationally transported in different mixer configuration and to choose the best configuration of the mixer taking into account the total particle path, the number of mixing elements and the quality of the obtained mixture. The results of the numerical simulations in the static mixers were compared to experimental results, the mixing quality is examined by RSD (relative standard deviation criterion, and the effects on the mixer type and the number of mixing elements on mixing process were studied. The effects of the mixer type and the number of mixing elements on mixing process were studied using analysis of variance (ANOVA. Mathematical modelling is used for optimization of number of Ross and Komax segments in mixer in order to gain desirable mixing results. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR31055

Validation of a CFD code for Unsteady Flows with cyclic boundary Conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jong-Tae; Kim, Sang-Baik; Lee, Won-Jae

2006-01-01

Currently Lilac code is under development to analyze thermo-hydraulics of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (GCR). Interesting thermo-hydraulic phenomena in a nuclear reactor are usually unsteady and turbulent. The analysis of the unsteady flows by using a three dimension CFD code is time-consuming if the flow domain is very large. Hopefully, flow domains commonly encountered in the nuclear thermo-hydraulics is periodic. So it is better to use the geometrical characteristics in order to reduce the computational resources. To get the benefits from reducing the computation domains especially for the calculations of unsteady flows, the cyclic boundary conditions are implemented in the parallelized CFD code LILAC. In this study, the parallelized cyclic boundary conditions are validated by solving unsteady laminar and turbulent flows past a circular cylinder

In situ bioremediation: A network model of diffusion and flow in granular porous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Griffiths, S.K.; Nilson, R.H.; Bradshaw, R.W.

1997-04-01

In situ bioremediation is a potentially expedient, permanent and cost- effective means of waste site decontamination. However, permeability reductions due to the transport and deposition of native fines or due to excessive microorganism populations may severely inhibit the injection of supplemental oxygen in the contamination zone. To help understand this phenomenon, we have developed a micro-mechanical network model of flow, diffusion and particle transport in granular porous materials. The model differs from most similar models in that the network is defined by particle positions in a numerically-generated particle array. The model is thus widely applicable to computing effective transport properties for both ordered and realistic random porous media. A laboratory-scale apparatus to measure permeability reductions has also been designed, built and tested.

Development of 3-D Flow Analysis Code for Fuel Assembly using Unstructured Grid System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Myong, Hyon Kook; Kim, Jong Eun; Ahn, Jong Ki; Yang, Seung Yong [Kookmin Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2007-03-15

The flow through a nuclear rod bundle with mixing vanes are very complex and required a suitable turbulence model to be predicted accurately. Final objective of this study is to develop a CFD code for fluid flow and heat transfer analysis in a nuclear fuel assembly using unstructured grid system. In order to develop a CFD code for fluid flow and heat transfer analysis in a nuclear fuel assembly using unstructured grid system, the following researches are made: - Development of numerical algorithm for CFD code's solver - Grid and geometric connectivity data - Development of software(PowerCFD code) for fluid flow and heat transfer analysis in a nuclear fuel assembly using unstructured grid system - Modulation of software(PowerCFD code) - Development of turbulence model - Development of analysis module of RANS/LES hybrid models - Analysis of turbulent flow and heat transfer - Basic study on LES analysis - Development of main frame on pre/post processors based on GUI - Algorithm for fully-developed flow.

Development of 3-D Flow Analysis Code for Fuel Assembly using Unstructured Grid System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myong, Hyon Kook; Kim, Jong Eun; Ahn, Jong Ki; Yang, Seung Yong

2007-03-01

The flow through a nuclear rod bundle with mixing vanes are very complex and required a suitable turbulence model to be predicted accurately. Final objective of this study is to develop a CFD code for fluid flow and heat transfer analysis in a nuclear fuel assembly using unstructured grid system. In order to develop a CFD code for fluid flow and heat transfer analysis in a nuclear fuel assembly using unstructured grid system, the following researches are made: - Development of numerical algorithm for CFD code's solver - Grid and geometric connectivity data - Development of software(PowerCFD code) for fluid flow and heat transfer analysis in a nuclear fuel assembly using unstructured grid system - Modulation of software(PowerCFD code) - Development of turbulence model - Development of analysis module of RANS/LES hybrid models - Analysis of turbulent flow and heat transfer - Basic study on LES analysis - Development of main frame on pre/post processors based on GUI - Algorithm for fully-developed flow

Code requirements document: MODFLOW 2.1: A program for predicting moderator flow patterns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, P.F.

1992-03-01

Sudden changes in the temperature of flowing liquids can result in transient buoyancy forces which strongly impact the flow hydrodynamics via flow stratification. These effects have been studied for the case of potential flow of stratified liquids to line sinks, but not for moderator flow in SRS reactors. Standard codes, such as TRAC and COMMIX, do not have the capability to capture the stratification effect, due to strong numerical diffusion which smears away the hot/cold fluid interface. A related problem with standard codes is the inability to track plumes injected into the liquid flow, again due to numerical diffusion. The combined effects of buoyant stratification and plume dispersion have been identified as being important in operation of the Supplementary Safety System which injects neutron-poison ink into SRS reactors to provide safe shutdown in the event of safety rod failure. The MODFLOW code discussed here provides transient moderator flow pattern information with stratification effects, and tracks the location of ink plumes in the reactor. The code, written in Fortran, is compiled for Macintosh II computers, and includes subroutines for interactive control and graphical output. Removing the graphics capabilities, the code can also be compiled on other computers. With graphics, in addition to the capability to perform safety related computations, MODFLOW also provides an easy tool for becoming familiar with flow distributions in SRS reactors

Cahn-Hiliard theory for unstable granular fluids

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Noije, T.P.C.; Ernst, M.H.

A Cahn-Hilliard-type theory for hydrodynamic fluctuations is proposed that gives a quantitative description of the slowly evolving spatial correlations and structures in density and flow fields in the early stages of evolution of freely cooling granular fluids. Two mechanisms for pattern selection

Tests of the TRAC code against known analytical solutions for stratified flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Black, P.S.; Leslie, D.C.; Hewitt, G.F.

1987-01-01

The area averaged equations for gas-liquid flow are briefly summarized and related, for the specific case of stratified flow, to the shallow water equations commonly used in hydraulics. These equations are then compared to the equations used in TRAC-PF/MOD1 and are shown to differ in their treatment of the gravity head terms. A modification of the TRAC code is therefore necessary to bring it into line with established shallow water theory. The corrected form of the code was compared with a number of specific cases, each of which throws further light on the code behavior. The following areas are discussed in the paper: (1) the dam break problem; (2) Kelvin-Helmholtz instability; (3) counter-current flow; and (4) slug flow. It is concluded that detailed comparisons of the code with known analytic solutions and with a number of the more complex phenomenological experiments can give useful insights into its behavior

Improved choked flow model for MARS code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Moon Sun; Lee, Won Jae; Ha, Kwi Seok; Hwang, Moon Kyu

2002-01-01

Choked flow calculation is improved by using a new sound speed criterion for bubbly flow that is derived by the characteristic analysis of hyperbolic two-fluid model. This model was based on the notion of surface tension for the interfacial pressure jump terms in the momentum equations. Real eigenvalues obtained as the closed-form solution of characteristic polynomial represent the sound speed in the bubbly flow regime that agrees well with the existing experimental data. The present sound speed shows more reasonable result in the extreme case than the Nguyens did. The present choked flow criterion derived by the present sound speed is employed in the MARS code and assessed by using the Marviken choked flow tests. The assessment results without any adjustment made by some discharge coefficients demonstrate more accurate predictions of choked flow rate in the bubbly flow regime than those of the earlier choked flow calculations. By calculating the Typical PWR (SBLOCA) problem, we make sure that the present model can reproduce the reasonable transients of integral reactor system

Exploiting the Error-Correcting Capabilities of Low Density Parity Check Codes in Distributed Video Coding using Optical Flow

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rakêt, Lars Lau; Søgaard, Jacob; Salmistraro, Matteo

2012-01-01

We consider Distributed Video Coding (DVC) in presence of communication errors. First, we present DVC side information generation based on a new method of optical flow driven frame interpolation, where a highly optimized TV-L1 algorithm is used for the flow calculations and combine three flows....... Thereafter methods for exploiting the error-correcting capabilities of the LDPCA code in DVC are investigated. The proposed frame interpolation includes a symmetric flow constraint to the standard forward-backward frame interpolation scheme, which improves quality and handling of large motion. The three...... flows are combined in one solution. The proposed frame interpolation method consistently outperforms an overlapped block motion compensation scheme and a previous TV-L1 optical flow frame interpolation method with an average PSNR improvement of 1.3 dB and 2.3 dB respectively. For a GOP size of 2...

Assessment of critical flow models of RELAP5-MOD2 and CATHARE codes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao Laomi; Zhu Zhanchuan

1992-01-01

The critical flow tests for the long and short nozzles conducted on the SUPER MOBY-DICK facility were analyzed using the RELAP5-MOD2 and CATHARE 1.3 codes to assess the critical flow models of two codes. The critical mass flux calculated for two nozzles are given. The CATHARE code has used the thermodynamic nonequilibrium sound velocity of the two-phase fluid as the critical flow criterion, and has the better interphase transfer models and calculates the critical flow velocities with the completely implicit solution. Therefore, it can well calculate the critical flowrate and can describe the effect of the geometry L/D on the critical flowrate

Unjamming a granular hopper by vibration

Science.gov (United States)

Janda, A.; Maza, D.; Garcimartín, A.; Kolb, E.; Lanuza, J.; Clément, E.

2009-07-01

We present an experimental study of the outflow of a hopper continuously vibrated by a piezoelectric device. Outpouring of grains can be achieved for apertures much below the usual jamming limit observed for non-vibrated hoppers. Granular flow persists down to the physical limit of one grain diameter, a limit reached for a finite vibration amplitude. For the smaller orifices, we observe an intermittent regime characterized by alternated periods of flow and blockage. Vibrations do not significantly modify the flow rates both in the continuous and the intermittent regime. The analysis of the statistical features of the flowing regime shows that the flow time significantly increases with the vibration amplitude. However, at low vibration amplitude and small orifice sizes, the jamming time distribution displays an anomalous statistics.

Development of an advanced fluid-dynamic analysis code: α-flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akiyama, Mamoru

1990-01-01

A Project for development of large scale three-dimensional fluid-dynamic analysis code, α-FLOW, coping with the recent advancement of supercomputers and workstations, has been in progress. This project is called the α-Project, which has been promoted by the Association for Large Scale Fluid Dynamics Analysis Code comprising private companies and research institutions such as universities. The developmental period for the α-FLOW is four years, March 1989 to March 1992. To date, the major portions of basic design and program preparation have been completed and the project is in the stage of testing each module. In this paper, the present status of the α-Project, design policy and outline of α-FLOW are described. (author)

Two-phase interfacial area and flow regime modeling in FLOWTRAN-TF code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, F.G. III; Lee, S.Y.; Flach, G.P.; Hamm, L.L.

1992-01-01

FLOWTRAN-TF is a new two-component, two-phase thermal-hydraulics code to capture the detailed assembly behavior associated with loss-of-coolant accident analyses in multichannel assemblies of the SRS reactors. The local interfacial area of the two-phase mixture is computed by summing the interfacial areas contributed by each of three flow regimes. For smooth flow regime transitions, the code uses an interpolation technique in terms of component void fraction for each basic flow regime

A comprehensive study of MPI parallelism in three-dimensional discrete element method (DEM) simulation of complex-shaped granular particles

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Beichuan; Regueiro, Richard A.

2018-02-01

A three-dimensional (3D) DEM code for simulating complex-shaped granular particles is parallelized using message-passing interface (MPI). The concepts of link-block, ghost/border layer, and migration layer are put forward for design of the parallel algorithm, and theoretical scalability function of 3-D DEM scalability and memory usage is derived. Many performance-critical implementation details are managed optimally to achieve high performance and scalability, such as: minimizing communication overhead, maintaining dynamic load balance, handling particle migrations across block borders, transmitting C++ dynamic objects of particles between MPI processes efficiently, eliminating redundant contact information between adjacent MPI processes. The code executes on multiple US Department of Defense (DoD) supercomputers and tests up to 2048 compute nodes for simulating 10 million three-axis ellipsoidal particles. Performance analyses of the code including speedup, efficiency, scalability, and granularity across five orders of magnitude of simulation scale (number of particles) are provided, and they demonstrate high speedup and excellent scalability. It is also discovered that communication time is a decreasing function of the number of compute nodes in strong scaling measurements. The code's capability of simulating a large number of complex-shaped particles on modern supercomputers will be of value in both laboratory studies on micromechanical properties of granular materials and many realistic engineering applications involving granular materials.

Disentangling the role of athermal walls on the Knudsen paradox in molecular and granular gases

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Ronak; Alam, Meheboob

2018-01-01

The nature of particle-wall interactions is shown to have a profound impact on the well-known "Knudsen paradox" [or the "Knudsen minimum" effect, which refers to the decrease of the mass-flow rate of a gas with increasing Knudsen number Kn, reaching a minimum at Kn˜O (1 ) and increasing logarithmically with Kn as Kn→∞ ] in the acceleration-driven Poiseuille flow of rarefied gases. The nonmonotonic variation of the flow rate with Kn occurs even in a granular or dissipative gas in contact with thermal walls. The latter result is in contradiction with recent work [Alam et al., J. Fluid Mech. 782, 99 (2015), 10.1017/jfm.2015.523] that revealed the absence of the Knudsen minimum in granular Poiseuille flow for which the flow rate was found to decrease at large values of Kn. The above conundrum is resolved by distinguishing between "thermal" and "athermal" walls, and it is shown that, for both molecular and granular gases, the momentum transfer to athermal walls is much different than that to thermal walls which is directly responsible for the anomalous flow-rate variation with Kn in the rarefied regime. In the continuum limit of Kn→0 , the athermal walls are shown to be closely related to "no-flux" ("adiabatic") walls for which the Knudsen minimum does not exist either. A possible characterization of athermal walls in terms of (1) an effective specularity coefficient for the slip velocity and (2) a flux-type boundary condition for granular temperature is suggested based on simulation results.

Startup and oxygen concentration effects in a continuous granular mixed flow autotrophic nitrogen removal reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Varas, Rodrigo; Guzmán-Fierro, Víctor; Giustinianovich, Elisa; Behar, Jack; Fernández, Katherina; Roeckel, Marlene

2015-08-01

The startup and performance of the completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) process was tested in a continuously fed granular bubble column reactor (BCR) with two different aeration strategies: controlling the oxygen volumetric flow and oxygen concentration. During the startup with the control of oxygen volumetric flow, the air volume was adjusted to 60mL/h and the CANON reactor had volumetric N loadings ranging from 7.35 to 100.90mgN/Ld with 36-71% total nitrogen removal and high instability. In the second stage, the reactor was operated at oxygen concentrations of 0.6, 0.4 and 0.2mg/L. The best condition was 0.2 mgO2/L with a total nitrogen removal of 75.36% with a CANON reactor activity of 0.1149gN/gVVSd and high stability. The feasibility and effectiveness of CANON processes with oxygen control was demonstrated, showing an alternative design tool for efficiently removing nitrogen species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Granular chaos and mixing: Whirled in a grain of sand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shinbrot, Troy, E-mail: shinbrot@rutgers.edu [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854 (United States)

2015-09-15

In this paper, we overview examples of chaos in granular flows. We begin by reviewing several remarkable behaviors that have intrigued researchers over the past few decades, and we then focus on three areas in which chaos plays an intrinsic role in granular behavior. First, we discuss pattern formation in vibrated beds, which we show is a direct result of chaotic scattering combined with dynamical dissipation. Next, we consider stick-slip motion, which involves chaotic scattering on the micro-scale, and which results in complex and as yet unexplained peculiarities on the macro-scale. Finally, we examine granular mixing, which we show combines micro-scale chaotic scattering and macro-scale stick-slip motion into behaviors that are well described by dynamical systems tools, such as iterative mappings.

Granular chaos and mixing: Whirled in a grain of sand.

Science.gov (United States)

Shinbrot, Troy

2015-09-01

In this paper, we overview examples of chaos in granular flows. We begin by reviewing several remarkable behaviors that have intrigued researchers over the past few decades, and we then focus on three areas in which chaos plays an intrinsic role in granular behavior. First, we discuss pattern formation in vibrated beds, which we show is a direct result of chaotic scattering combined with dynamical dissipation. Next, we consider stick-slip motion, which involves chaotic scattering on the micro-scale, and which results in complex and as yet unexplained peculiarities on the macro-scale. Finally, we examine granular mixing, which we show combines micro-scale chaotic scattering and macro-scale stick-slip motion into behaviors that are well described by dynamical systems tools, such as iterative mappings.

Resolved granular debris-flow simulations with a coupled SPH-DCDEM model

Science.gov (United States)

Birjukovs Canelas, Ricardo; Domínguez, José M.; Crespo, Alejandro J. C.; Gómez-Gesteira, Moncho; Ferreira, Rui M. L.

2016-04-01

Debris flows represent some of the most relevant phenomena in geomorphological events. Due to the potential destructiveness of such flows, they are the target of a vast amount of research (Takahashi, 2007 and references therein). A complete description of the internal processes of a debris-flow is however still an elusive achievement, explained by the difficulty of accurately measuring important quantities in these flows and developing a comprehensive, generalized theoretical framework capable of describing them. This work addresses the need for a numerical model applicable to granular-fluid mixtures featuring high spatial and temporal resolution, thus capable of resolving the motion of individual particles, including all interparticle contacts. This corresponds to a brute-force approach: by applying simple interaction laws at local scales the macro-scale properties of the flow should be recovered by upscaling. This methodology effectively bypasses the complexity of modelling the intermediate scales by resolving them directly. The only caveat is the need of high performance computing, a demanding but engaging research challenge. The DualSPHysics meshless numerical implementation, based on Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), is expanded with a Distributed Contact Discrete Element Method (DCDEM) in order to explicitly solve the fluid and the solid phase. The model numerically solves the Navier-Stokes and continuity equations for the liquid phase and Newton's motion equations for solid bodies. The interactions between solids are modelled with classical DEM approaches (Kruggel-Emden et al, 2007). Among other validation tests, an experimental set-up for stony debris flows in a slit check dam is reproduced numerically, where solid material is introduced trough a hopper assuring a constant solid discharge for the considered time interval. With each sediment particle undergoing tens of possible contacts, several thousand time-evolving contacts are efficiently treated

CFD Code Validation against Stratified Air-Water Flow Experimental Data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terzuoli, F.; Galassi, M.C.; Mazzini, D.; D'Auria, F.

2008-01-01

Pressurized thermal shock (PTS) modelling has been identified as one of the most important industrial needs related to nuclear reactor safety. A severe PTS scenario limiting the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) lifetime is the cold water emergency core cooling (ECC) injection into the cold leg during a loss of coolant accident (LOCA). Since it represents a big challenge for numerical simulations, this scenario was selected within the European Platform for Nuclear Reactor Simulations (NURESIM) Integrated Project as a reference two-phase problem for computational fluid dynamics (CFDs) code validation. This paper presents a CFD analysis of a stratified air-water flow experimental investigation performed at the Institut de Mecanique des Fluides de Toulouse in 1985, which shares some common physical features with the ECC injection in PWR cold leg. Numerical simulations have been carried out with two commercial codes (Fluent and Ansys CFX), and a research code (NEPTUNE CFD). The aim of this work, carried out at the University of Pisa within the NURESIM IP, is to validate the free surface flow model implemented in the codes against experimental data, and to perform code-to-code benchmarking. Obtained results suggest the relevance of three-dimensional effects and stress the importance of a suitable interface drag modelling

CFD Code Validation against Stratified Air-Water Flow Experimental Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Terzuoli

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Pressurized thermal shock (PTS modelling has been identified as one of the most important industrial needs related to nuclear reactor safety. A severe PTS scenario limiting the reactor pressure vessel (RPV lifetime is the cold water emergency core cooling (ECC injection into the cold leg during a loss of coolant accident (LOCA. Since it represents a big challenge for numerical simulations, this scenario was selected within the European Platform for Nuclear Reactor Simulations (NURESIM Integrated Project as a reference two-phase problem for computational fluid dynamics (CFDs code validation. This paper presents a CFD analysis of a stratified air-water flow experimental investigation performed at the Institut de Mécanique des Fluides de Toulouse in 1985, which shares some common physical features with the ECC injection in PWR cold leg. Numerical simulations have been carried out with two commercial codes (Fluent and Ansys CFX, and a research code (NEPTUNE CFD. The aim of this work, carried out at the University of Pisa within the NURESIM IP, is to validate the free surface flow model implemented in the codes against experimental data, and to perform code-to-code benchmarking. Obtained results suggest the relevance of three-dimensional effects and stress the importance of a suitable interface drag modelling.

Using a Time Granularity Table for Gradual Granular Data Aggregation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iftikhar, Nadeem; Pedersen, Torben Bach

2010-01-01

solution for data reduction based on gradual granular data aggregation. With the gradual granular data aggregation mechanism, older data can be made coarse-grained while keeping the newest data fine-grained. For instance, when data is 3 months old aggregate to 1 minute level from 1 second level, when data...... and improve query performance, especially on resource-constrained systems with limited storage and query processing capabilities. A number of data reduction solutions have been developed, however an effective solution particularly based on gradual data reduction is missing. This paper presents an effective...... is 6 months old aggregate to 2 minutes level from 1 minute level and so on. The proposed solution introduces a time granularity based data structure, namely a relational time granularity table that enables long term storage of old data by maintaining it at different levels of granularity and effective...

Association of inclusion body myositis with T cell large granular lymphocytic leukaemia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Greenberg, Steven A; Pinkus, Jack L; Amato, Anthony A

2016-01-01

SEE HOHLFELD AND SCHULZE-KOOPS DOI101093/BRAIN/AWW053 FOR A SCIENTIFIC COMMENTARY ON THIS ARTICLE: Inclusion body myositis and T cell large granular lymphocytic leukaemia are rare diseases involving pathogenic cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. After encountering four patients with both disorders, we...... prospectively screened 38 patients with inclusion body myositis for the presence of expanded large granular lymphocyte populations by standard clinical laboratory methods (flow cytometry, examination of blood smears, and T cell receptor gene rearrangements), and performed muscle immunohistochemistry for CD8, CD......57, and TIA1. Most (22/38; 58%) patients with inclusion body myositis had aberrant populations of large granular lymphocytes in their blood meeting standard diagnostic criteria for T cell large granular lymphocytic leukaemia. These T cell populations were clonal in 20/20 patients and stably present...

Development of flow network analysis code for block type VHTR core by linear theory method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, J. H.; Yoon, S. J.; Park, J. W.; Park, G. C.

2012-01-01

VHTR (Very High Temperature Reactor) is high-efficiency nuclear reactor which is capable of generating hydrogen with high temperature of coolant. PMR (Prismatic Modular Reactor) type reactor consists of hexagonal prismatic fuel blocks and reflector blocks. The flow paths in the prismatic VHTR core consist of coolant holes, bypass gaps and cross gaps. Complicated flow paths are formed in the core since the coolant holes and bypass gap are connected by the cross gap. Distributed coolant was mixed in the core through the cross gap so that the flow characteristics could not be modeled as a simple parallel pipe system. It requires lot of effort and takes very long time to analyze the core flow with CFD analysis. Hence, it is important to develop the code for VHTR core flow which can predict the core flow distribution fast and accurate. In this study, steady state flow network analysis code is developed using flow network algorithm. Developed flow network analysis code was named as FLASH code and it was validated with the experimental data and CFD simulation results. (authors)

Deformation of a 3D granular media caused by fluid invasion

Science.gov (United States)

Dalbe, M. J.; Juanes, R.

2016-12-01

Multiphase flow in porous media plays a fundamental role in many natural and engineered subsurface processes. The interplay between fluid flow, medium deformation and fracture is essential in geoscience problems as disparate as fracking for unconventional hydrocarbon production, conduit formation and methane venting from lake and ocean sediments, and desiccation cracks in soil. Several experimental and computational studies have shown that the competition between capillary and friction forces can lead to different regimes of deformation, from frictional fingering to hydro-capillary fracturing (Sandnes et al., Nat. Comm. 2011, Holtzman et al., PRL 2012). Most of these investigations have focused, however, on 2D or quasi-2D systems. Here, we develop an experimental set-up that allows us to observe two-phase flow in a fully 3D granular bed and measure the fluid pressure while controlling the level of confining stress. We use an index matching technique to directly visualize the injection of a liquid in a granular media saturated with another, immiscible liquid. We extract the deformation the whole granular bulk as well as at the particle level. Our results show the existence of different regimes of invasion patterns depending on key dimensionless groups that control the system.

Aerofractures in Confined Granular Media

Science.gov (United States)

Eriksen, Fredrik K.; Turkaya, Semih; Toussaint, Renaud; Måløy, Knut J.; Flekkøy, Eirik G.

2015-04-01

We will present the optical analysis of experimental aerofractures in confined granular media. The study of this generic process may have applications in industries involving hydraulic fracturing of tight rocks, safe construction of dams, tunnels and mines, and in earth science where phenomena such as mud volcanoes and sand injectites are results of subsurface sediment displacements driven by fluid overpressure. It is also interesting to increase the understanding the flow instability itself, and how the fluid flow impacts the solid surrounding fractures and in the rest of the sample. Such processes where previously studied numerically [Niebling 2012a, Niebling 2012b] or in circular geometries. We will here explore experimentally linear geometries. We study the fracturing patterns that form when air flows into a dense, non-cohesive porous medium confined in a Hele-Shaw cell - i.e. into a packing of dry 80 micron beads placed between two glass plates separated by ~1mm. The cell is rectangular and fitted with a semi-permeable boundary to the atmosphere - blocking beads but not air - on one short edge, while the other three edges are impermeable. The porous medium is packed inside the cell between the semi-permeable boundary and an empty volume at the sealed side where the air pressure can be set and kept at a constant overpressure (1-2bar). Thus, for the air trapped inside the cell to release the overpressure it has to move through the solid. At high enough overpressures the air flow deforms the solid and increase permeability in some regions along the air-solid interface, which results in unstable flow and aerofracturing. Aerofractures are thought to be an analogue to hydrofractures, and an advantage of performing aerofracturing experiments in a Hele-Shaw cell is that the fracturing process can easily be observed in the lab. Our experiments are recorded with a high speed camera with a framerate of 1000 frames per second. In the analysis, by using various image

A critical flow model for the Cathena thermalhydraulic code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popov, N.K.; Hanna, B.N.

1990-01-01

The calculation of critical flow rate, e.g., of choked flow through a break, is required for simulating a loss of coolant transient in a reactor or reactor-like experimental facility. A model was developed to calculate the flow rate through the break for given geometrical parameters near the break and fluid parameters upstream of the break for ordinary water, as well as heavy water, with or without non- condensible gases. This model has been incorporated in the CATHENA, one-dimensional, two-fluid thermalhydraulic code. In the CATHENA code a standard staggered-mesh, finite-difference representation is used to solve the thermalhydraulic equations. This model compares the fluid mixture velocity, calculated using the CATHENA momentum equations, with a critical velocity. When the mixture velocity is smaller than the critical velocity, the flow is assumed to be subcritical, and the model remains passive. When the fluid mixture velocity is higher than the critical velocity, the model sets the fluid mixture velocity equal to the critical velocity. In this paper the critical velocity at a link (momentum cell) is first estimated separately for single-phase liquid, two- phase, or single-phase gas flow condition at the upstream node (mass/energy cell). In all three regimes non-condensible gas can be present in the flow. For single-phase liquid flow, the critical velocity is estimated using a Bernoulli- type of equation, the pressure at the link is estimated by the pressure undershoot method

Interface stability of granular filter structures under currents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verheij, H.J.; Hoffmans, G.; Dorst, K.; Van de Sande, S.

2012-01-01

Granular filters are used for protection of structures against scour and erosion. For a proper functioning it is necessary that the interfaces between the filter structure, the subsoil and the water flowing above the filter structure are stable. Stability means that there is no transport of subsoil

UNSAT-H, an unsaturated soil water flow code for use at the Hanford site: code documentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fayer, M.J.; Gee, G.W.

1985-10-01

The unsaturated soil moisture flow code, UNSAT-H, which was developed at Pacific Northwest Laboratory for assessing water movement at waste sites on the Hanford site, is documented in this report. This code is used in simulating the water dynamics of arid sites under consideration for waste disposal. The results of an example simulation of constant infiltration show excellent agreement with an analytical solution and another numerical solution, thus providing some verification of the UNSAT-H code. Areas of the code are identified for future work and include runoff, snowmelt, long-term climate and plant models, and parameter measurement. 29 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs

Voltage fluctuations in granular superconductors in the perpendicular configuration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerashchenko, O V

2003-01-01

The spectral density of voltage fluctuations in granular YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ superconductors in the perpendicular configuration has been studied in the flux flow mode. It has been found that, in this case, the 1/f-voltage noise observed depends weakly on temperature and is associated with motion of a magnetic flux in the superconductor. A comparison of the data obtained with the results of previous measurements in parallel configuration has shown that voltage noise is produced by a single common source, which is presumably associated with self-organization of the critical state in granular superconductors

Granular deformation mechanisms in semi-solid alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gourlay, C.M.; Dahle, A.K.; Nagira, T.; Nakatsuka, N.; Nogita, K.; Uesugi, K.; Yasuda, H.

2011-01-01

Deformation mechanisms in equiaxed, partially solid Al-15 wt.% Cu are studied in situ by coupling shear-cell experiments with synchrotron X-ray radiography. Direct evidence is presented for granular deformation mechanisms in both globular and equiaxed-dendritic samples at solid fractions shortly after crystal impingement. It is demonstrated that dilatancy, arching and jamming occur at the crystal scale, and that these can cause stick-slip flow due to periodic dilation and compaction at low displacement rate. Granular deformation is found to be similar in globular and equiaxed-dendritic samples if length is scaled by the crystal size and packing is considered to occur among crystal envelopes. Rheological differences between the morphologies are discussed in terms of the competition between crystal rearrangement and crystal deformation.

A two-phase debris-flow model that includes coupled evolution of volume fractions, granular dilatancy, and pore-fluid pressure

Science.gov (United States)

George, David L.; Iverson, Richard M.

2011-01-01

Pore-fluid pressure plays a crucial role in debris flows because it counteracts normal stresses at grain contacts and thereby reduces intergranular friction. Pore-pressure feedback accompanying debris deformation is particularly important during the onset of debrisflow motion, when it can dramatically influence the balance of forces governing downslope acceleration. We consider further effects of this feedback by formulating a new, depth-averaged mathematical model that simulates coupled evolution of granular dilatancy, solid and fluid volume fractions, pore-fluid pressure, and flow depth and velocity during all stages of debris-flow motion. To illustrate implications of the model, we use a finite-volume method to compute one-dimensional motion of a debris flow descending a rigid, uniformly inclined slope, and we compare model predictions with data obtained in large-scale experiments at the USGS debris-flow flume. Predictions for the first 1 s of motion show that increasing pore pressures (due to debris contraction) cause liquefaction that enhances flow acceleration. As acceleration continues, however, debris dilation causes dissipation of pore pressures, and this dissipation helps stabilize debris-flow motion. Our numerical predictions of this process match experimental data reasonably well, but predictions might be improved by accounting for the effects of grain-size segregation.

Traffic and Granular Flow’05

CERN Document Server

Pöschel, Thorsten; Kühne, Reinhart; Schreckenberg, Michael; Wolf, Dietrich

2007-01-01

The conference series Tra?c and Granular Flow has been established in 1995 and has since then been held biannually. At that time, the investigation of granular materials and tra?c was still somewhat exotic and was just starting to become popular among physicists. Originally the idea behind this conference series was to facilitate the c- vergence of the two ?elds, inspired by the similarities of certain phenomena and the use of similar theoretical methods. However, in recent years it has become clear that probably the di?erences between the two systems are much more interesting than the similarities. Nevertheless, the importance of various interrelations among these ?elds is still growing. The workshop continues to o?er an opportunity to stimulate this interdisciplinary research. Over the years the spectrum of topics has become much broader and has included also problems related to topics ranging from social dynamics to - ology. The conference manages to bring together people with rather di?erent background, r...

Kinetics and mass transfer phenomena in anaerobic granular sludge

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gonzalez-Gil, G.; Seghezzo, L.; Lettinga, G.; Kleerebezem, R.

2001-01-01

The kinetic properties of acetate-degrading methanogenic granular sludge of different mean diameters were assessed at different up-flow velocities (Vup). Using this approach, the influence of internal and external mass transfer could be estimated. First, the apparent Monod constant (KS) for each

Multiple-canister flow and transport code in 2-dimensional space. MCFT2D: user's manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Doo-Hyun

2006-03-01

A two-dimensional numerical code, MCFT2D (Multiple-Canister Flow and Transport code in 2-Dimensional space), has been developed for groundwater flow and radionuclide transport analyses in a water-saturated high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository with multiple canisters. A multiple-canister configuration and a non-uniform flow field of the host rock are incorporated in the MCFT2D code. Effects of heterogeneous flow field of the host rock on migration of nuclides can be investigated using MCFT2D. The MCFT2D enables to take into account the various degrees of the dependency of canister configuration for nuclide migration in a water-saturated HLW repository, while the dependency was assumed to be either independent or perfectly dependent in previous studies. This report presents features of the MCFT2D code, numerical simulation using MCFT2D code, and graphical representation of the numerical results. (author)

Meanline Analysis of Turbines with Choked Flow in the Object-Oriented Turbomachinery Analysis Code

Science.gov (United States)

Hendricks, Eric S.

2016-01-01

The Object-Oriented Turbomachinery Analysis Code (OTAC) is a new meanline/streamline turbomachinery modeling tool being developed at NASA GRC. During the development process, a limitation of the code was discovered in relation to the analysis of choked flow in axial turbines. This paper describes the relevant physics for choked flow as well as the changes made to OTAC to enable analysis in this flow regime.

CFD code comparison for 2D airfoil flows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Niels N.; Méndez, B.; Muñoz, A.

2016-01-01

The current paper presents the effort, in the EU AVATAR project, to establish the necessary requirements to obtain consistent lift over drag ratios among seven CFD codes. The flow around a 2D airfoil case is studied, for both transitional and fully turbulent conditions at Reynolds numbers of 3...

Granular patterns

CERN Document Server

Aranson, Igor S

2009-01-01

This title presents a review of experiments and novel theoretical concepts needed to understand the mechanisms of pattern formation in granular materials. An effort is made to connect concepts and ideas developed in granular physics with new emergent fields, especially in biology, such as cytoskeleton dynamics.

Measurements of Grain Motion in a Dense, Three-Dimensional Granular Fluid

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiaoyu; Huan, Chao; Candela, D.; Mair, R. W.; Walsworth, R. L.

2002-03-01

We have used NMR to measure the short-time, three-dimensional displacement of grains in a system of mustard seeds vibrated vertically at 15g. The measurements are in the ballistic regime, giving direct access to the granular temperature profile. The data are compared to a recent hydrodynamic theory developed for high density granular flows. We find that the hydrodynamic theory works well for the dense, lower portion of the sample but breaks down near the free surface, where the mean free path becomes long.

Unsteady non-Newtonian hydrodynamics in granular gases.

Science.gov (United States)

Astillero, Antonio; Santos, Andrés

2012-02-01

The temporal evolution of a dilute granular gas, both in a compressible flow (uniform longitudinal flow) and in an incompressible flow (uniform shear flow), is investigated by means of the direct simulation Monte Carlo method to solve the Boltzmann equation. Emphasis is laid on the identification of a first "kinetic" stage (where the physical properties are strongly dependent on the initial state) subsequently followed by an unsteady "hydrodynamic" stage (where the momentum fluxes are well-defined non-Newtonian functions of the rate of strain). The simulation data are seen to support this two-stage scenario. Furthermore, the rheological functions obtained from simulation are well described by an approximate analytical solution of a model kinetic equation. © 2012 American Physical Society

Stretched exponentials and power laws in granular avalanching

Science.gov (United States)

Head, D. A.; Rodgers, G. J.

1999-02-01

We introduce a model for granular surface flow which exhibits both stretched exponential and power law avalanching over its parameter range. Two modes of transport are incorporated, a rolling layer consisting of individual particles and the overdamped, sliding motion of particle clusters. The crossover in behaviour observed in experiments on piles of rice is attributed to a change in the dominant mode of transport. We predict that power law avalanching will be observed whenever surface flow is dominated by clustered motion.

Granular computing: perspectives and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, JingTao; Vasilakos, Athanasios V; Pedrycz, Witold

2013-12-01

Granular computing, as a new and rapidly growing paradigm of information processing, has attracted many researchers and practitioners. Granular computing is an umbrella term to cover any theories, methodologies, techniques, and tools that make use of information granules in complex problem solving. The aim of this paper is to review foundations and schools of research and to elaborate on current developments in granular computing research. We first review some basic notions of granular computing. Classification and descriptions of various schools of research in granular computing are given. We also present and identify some research directions in granular computing.

On the rheology of dilative granular media: Bridging solid- and fluid-like behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Andrade, José E.; Chen, Qiushi; Le, Phong H.; Avila, Carlos F.; Matthew Evans, T.

2012-06-01

A new rate-dependent plasticity model for dilative granular media is presented, aiming to bridge the seemingly disparate solid- and fluid-like behavioral regimes. Up to date, solid-like behavior is typically tackled with rate-independent plasticity models emanating from Mohr-Coulomb and Critical State plasticity theory. On the other hand, the fluid-like behavior of granular media is typically treated using constitutive theories amenable to viscous flow, e.g., Bingham fluid. In our proposed model, the material strength is composed of a dilation part and a rate-dependent residual strength. The dilatancy strength plays a key role during solid-like behavior but vanishes in the fluid-like regime. The residual strength, which in a classical plasticity model is considered constant and rate-independent, is postulated to evolve with strain rate. The main appeal of the model is its simplicity and its ability to reconcile the classic plasticity and rheology camps. The applicability and capability of the model are demonstrated by numerical simulation of granular flow problems, as well as a classical shear banding problem, where the performance of the continuum model is compared to discrete particle simulations and physical experiment. These results shed much-needed light onto the mechanics and physics of granular media at various shear rates.

Preliminary validation of the MATRA-LMR-FB code for the flow blockage in a subassembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, H. Y.; Ha, K. S.; Kwon, Y. M.; Chang, W. P.; Lee, Y. B.; Heo, S.

2005-01-01

To analyze the flow blockage in a subassembly of a Liquid Metal-cooled Reactor (LMR), the MATRA-LMR-FB code has been developed and validated for the existing experimental data. Compared to the MATRA-LMR code, which had been successfully applied for the core thermal-hydraulic design of KALIMER, the MATRA-LMR-FB code includes some advanced modeling features. Firstly, the Distributed Resistance Model (DRM), which enables a very accurate description of the effects of wire-wrap and blockage in a flow path, is developed for the MATRA-LMR-FB code. Secondly, the hybrid difference method is used to minimize the numerical diffusion especially at the low flow region such as recirculating wakes after blockage. In addition, the code is equipped with various turbulent mixing models to describe the active mixing due to the turbulent motions as accurate as possible. For the validation of the MATRA-LMR-FB code the ORNL THORS test and KOS 169-pin test are analyzed. Based on the analysis results for the temperature data, the accuracy of the code is evaluated quantitatively. The MATRA-LMR-FB code predicts very accurately the exit temperatures measured in the subassembly with wire-wrap. However, the predicted temperatures for the experiment with spacer grid show some deviations from the measured. To enhance the accuracy of the MATRA-LMR-FB for the flow path with grid spacers, it is suggested to improve the models for pressure loss due to spacer grid and the modeling method for blockage itself. The developed MATRA-LMR-FB code is evaluated to be applied to the flow blockage analysis of KALIMER-600 which adopts the wire-wrapped subassemblies

Verification of the network flow and transport/distributed velocity (NWFT/DVM) computer code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duda, L.E.

1984-05-01

The Network Flow and Transport/Distributed Velocity Method (NWFT/DVM) computer code was developed primarily to fulfill a need for a computationally efficient ground-water flow and contaminant transport capability for use in risk analyses where, quite frequently, large numbers of calculations are required. It is a semi-analytic, quasi-two-dimensional network code that simulates ground-water flow and the transport of dissolved species (radionuclides) in a saturated porous medium. The development of this code was carried out under a program funded by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to develop a methodology for assessing the risk from disposal of radioactive wastes in deep geologic formations (FIN: A-1192 and A-1266). In support to the methodology development program, the NRC has funded a separate Maintenance of Computer Programs Project (FIN: A-1166) to ensure that the codes developed under A-1192 or A-1266 remain consistent with current operating systems, are as error-free as possible, and have up-to-date documentations for reference by the NRC staff. Part of this effort would include verification and validation tests to assure that a code correctly performs the operations specified and/or is representing the processes or system for which it is intended. This document contains four verification problems for the NWFT/DVM computer code. Two of these problems are analytical verifications of NWFT/DVM where results are compared to analytical solutions. The other two are code-to-code verifications where results from NWFT/DVM are compared to those of another computer code. In all cases NWFT/DVM showed good agreement with both the analytical solutions and the results from the other code

Recommendations for computer code selection of a flow and transport code to be used in undisturbed vadose zone calculations for TWRS immobilized wastes environmental analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

VOOGD, J.A.

1999-01-01

An analysis of three software proposals is performed to recommend a computer code for immobilized low activity waste flow and transport modeling. The document uses criteria restablished in HNF-1839, ''Computer Code Selection Criteria for Flow and Transport Codes to be Used in Undisturbed Vadose Zone Calculation for TWRS Environmental Analyses'' as the basis for this analysis

ACFAC: a cash flow analysis code for estimating product price from an industrial operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delene, J.G.

1980-04-01

A computer code is presented which uses a discountted cash flow methodology to obtain an average product price for an industtrial process. The general discounted cash flow method is discussed. Special code options include multiple treatments of interest during construction and other preoperational costs, investment tax credits, and different methods for tax depreciation of capital assets. Two options for allocating the cost of plant decommissioning are available. The FORTRAN code listing and the computer output for a sample problem are included

Physical test of a particle simulation model in a sheared granular system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rycroft, Chris; Orpe, Ashish; Kudrolli, Arshad

2009-01-15

We report a detailed comparison of a slow gravity driven sheared granular flow with a computational model performed with the Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (LAMMPS). To our knowledge, this is the first thorough test of the LAMMPS model with a laboratory granular flow. In the experiments, grains flow inside a silo with a rectangular cross-section, and are sheared by a rough boundary on one side and smooth boundaries on the other sides. Individual grain position and motion are measured using a particle index matching imaging technique where a fluorescent dye is added to the interstitial liquid which has the same refractive index as the glass beads. The boundary imposes a packing order, and the grains are observed to flow in layers which get progressively more disordered with distance from the walls. The computations use a Cundall--Strack contact model between the grains, using contact parameters that have been used in many other previous studies, and ignore the hydrodynamic effects of the interstitial liquid. Computations are performed to understand the effect of particle coefficient of friction, elasticity, contact model, and polydispersity on mean flow properties. After appropriate scaling, we find that the mean velocity of the grains and the number density as a function of flow cross-section observed in the experiments and the simulations are in excellent agreement. The mean flow profile is observed to be unchanged over a broad range of coefficient of friction, except near the smooth wall. We show that the flow profile is not sensitive to atleast 10\\percent polydispersity in particle size. Because the grain elasticity used is smaller in the computations as compared with glass grains, wave-like features can be noted over short time scales in the mean velocity and the velocity auto-correlations measured in the simulations. These wave features occur over an intermediate timescale larger than the particle interaction but smaller than the

IN-SITU REGENERATION OF GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON (GAC) USING FENTON'S REAGENTS

Science.gov (United States)

Fenton-dependent regeneration of granular activated carbon (GAC) initially saturated with one of several chlorinated aliphatic contaminants was studied in batch and continuous-flow reactors. Homogeneous and heterogeneous experiments were designed to investigate the effects of va...

A computational geometry approach to pore network construction for granular packings

Science.gov (United States)

van der Linden, Joost H.; Sufian, Adnan; Narsilio, Guillermo A.; Russell, Adrian R.; Tordesillas, Antoinette

2018-03-01

Pore network construction provides the ability to characterize and study the pore space of inhomogeneous and geometrically complex granular media in a range of scientific and engineering applications. Various approaches to the construction have been proposed, however subtle implementational details are frequently omitted, open access to source code is limited, and few studies compare multiple algorithms in the context of a specific application. This study presents, in detail, a new pore network construction algorithm, and provides a comprehensive comparison with two other, well-established Delaunay triangulation-based pore network construction methods. Source code is provided to encourage further development. The proposed algorithm avoids the expensive non-linear optimization procedure in existing Delaunay approaches, and is robust in the presence of polydispersity. Algorithms are compared in terms of structural, geometrical and advanced connectivity parameters, focusing on the application of fluid flow characteristics. Sensitivity of the various networks to permeability is assessed through network (Stokes) simulations and finite-element (Navier-Stokes) simulations. Results highlight strong dependencies of pore volume, pore connectivity, throat geometry and fluid conductance on the degree of tetrahedra merging and the specific characteristics of the throats targeted by the merging algorithm. The paper concludes with practical recommendations on the applicability of the three investigated algorithms.

Multiphase reacting flows modelling and simulation

CERN Document Server

Marchisio, Daniele L

2007-01-01

The papers in this book describe the most widely applicable modeling approaches and are organized in six groups covering from fundamentals to relevant applications. In the first part, some fundamentals of multiphase turbulent reacting flows are covered. In particular the introduction focuses on basic notions of turbulence theory in single-phase and multi-phase systems as well as on the interaction between turbulence and chemistry. In the second part, models for the physical and chemical processes involved are discussed. Among other things, particular emphasis is given to turbulence modeling strategies for multiphase flows based on the kinetic theory for granular flows. Next, the different numerical methods based on Lagrangian and/or Eulerian schemes are presented. In particular the most popular numerical approaches of computational fluid dynamics codes are described (i.e., Direct Numerical Simulation, Large Eddy Simulation, and Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes approach). The book will cover particle-based meth...

Hopper Flow: Experiments and Simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhusong; Shattuck, Mark

2013-03-01

Jamming and intermittent granular flow are important problems in industry, and the vertical hopper is a canonical example. Clogging of granular hoppers account for significant losses across many industries. We use realistic DEM simulations of gravity driven flow in a hopper to examine flow and jamming of 2D disks and compare with identical companion experiments. We use experimental data to validate simulation parameters and the form of the inter particle force law. We measure and compare flow rate, emptying times, jamming statistics, and flow fields as a function of opening angle and opening size in both experiment and simulations. Suppored by: NSF-CBET-0968013

Groundwater flow code verification ''benchmarking'' activity (COVE-2A): Analysis of participants' work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dykhuizen, R.C.; Barnard, R.W.

1992-02-01

The Nuclear Waste Repository Technology Department at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) is investigating the suitability of Yucca Mountain as a potential site for underground burial of nuclear wastes. One element of the investigations is to assess the potential long-term effects of groundwater flow on the integrity of a potential repository. A number of computer codes are being used to model groundwater flow through geologic media in which the potential repository would be located. These codes compute numerical solutions for problems that are usually analytically intractable. Consequently, independent confirmation of the correctness of the solution is often not possible. Code verification is a process that permits the determination of the numerical accuracy of codes by comparing the results of several numerical solutions for the same problem. The international nuclear waste research community uses benchmarking for intercomparisons that partially satisfy the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) definition of code verification. This report presents the results from the COVE-2A (Code Verification) project, which is a subset of the COVE project

Method for calculating internal radiation and ventilation with the ADINAT heat-flow code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butkovich, T.R.; Montan, D.N.

1980-01-01

One objective of the spent fuel test in Climax Stock granite (SFTC) is to correctly model the thermal transport, and the changes in the stress field and accompanying displacements from the application of the thermal loads. We have chosen the ADINA and ADINAT finite element codes to do these calculations. ADINAT is a heat transfer code compatible to the ADINA displacement and stress analysis code. The heat flow problem encountered at SFTC requires a code with conduction, radiation, and ventilation capabilities, which the present version of ADINAT does not have. We have devised a method for calculating internal radiation and ventilation with the ADINAT code. This method effectively reproduces the results from the TRUMP multi-dimensional finite difference code, which correctly models radiative heat transport between drift surfaces, conductive and convective thermal transport to and through air in the drifts, and mass flow of air in the drifts. The temperature histories for each node in the finite element mesh calculated with ADINAT using this method can be used directly in the ADINA thermal-mechanical calculation

Continuum viscoplastic simulation of a granular column collapse on large slopes : μ(I) rheology and lateral wall effects

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Nathan; Mangeney, Anne; Ionescu, Ioan; Bouchut, Francois

2016-04-01

The description of the mechanical behaviour of granular flows and in particular of the static/flowing transition is still an open and challenging issue with strong implication for hazard assessment [{Delannay et al.}, 2016]. In particular, {detailed quantitative} comparison between numerical models and observations is necessary to go further in this direction. We simulate here dry granular flows resulting from the collapse of granular columns on an inclined channel (from horizontal to 22^o) and compare precisely the results with laboratory experiments performed by {Mangeney et al.} [2010] and {Farin et al.} [2014]. Incompressibility is assumed despite the dilatancy observed in the experiments (up to 10%). The 2-D model is based on the so-called μ(I) rheology that induces a Drucker-Prager yield stress and a variable viscosity. A nonlinear Coulomb friction term, representing the friction on the lateral walls of the channel is added to the model. We demonstrate that this term is crucial to accurately reproduce granular collapses on slopes higher than 10o whereas it remains of little effect on horizontal slope [{Martin et al.}, 2016]. We show that the use of a variable or a constant viscosity does not change significantly the results provided that these viscosities are of the same order [{Ionescu et al.}, 2015]. However, only a fine tuning of the constant viscosity (η = 1 Pa.s) makes it possible to predict the slow propagation phase observed experimentally on large slopes. This was not possible when using, without tuning, the variable viscosity calculated from the μ(I) rheology with the parameters estimated from experiments. Finally, we discuss the well-posedness of the model with variable and constant viscosity based in particular on the development of shear bands observed in the numerical simulations. References Delannay, R., Valance, A., Mangeney, A., Roche, O., and Richard, P., 2016. Granular and particle-laden flows: from laboratory experiments to field

A new solver for granular avalanche simulation: Indoor experiment verification and field scale case study

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, XiaoLiang; Li, JiaChun

2017-12-01

A new solver based on the high-resolution scheme with novel treatments of source terms and interface capture for the Savage-Hutter model is developed to simulate granular avalanche flows. The capability to simulate flow spread and deposit processes is verified through indoor experiments of a two-dimensional granular avalanche. Parameter studies show that reduction in bed friction enhances runout efficiency, and that lower earth pressure restraints enlarge the deposit spread. The April 9, 2000, Yigong avalanche in Tibet, China, is simulated as a case study by this new solver. The predicted results, including evolution process, deposit spread, and hazard impacts, generally agree with site observations. It is concluded that the new solver for the Savage-Hutter equation provides a comprehensive software platform for granular avalanche simulation at both experimental and field scales. In particular, the solver can be a valuable tool for providing necessary information for hazard forecasts, disaster mitigation, and countermeasure decisions in mountainous areas.

3D code for simulations of fluid flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skandera, D.

2004-01-01

In this paper, a present status in the development of the new numerical code is reported. The code is considered for simulations of fluid flows. The finite volume approach is adopted for solving standard fluid equations. They are treated in a conservative form to ensure a correct conservation of fluid quantities. Thus, a nonlinear hyperbolic system of conservation laws is numerically solved. The code uses the Eulerian description of the fluid and is designed as a high order central numerical scheme. The central approach employs no (approximate) Riemann solver and is less computational expensive. The high order WENO strategy is adopted in the reconstruction step to achieve results comparable with more accurate Riemann solvers. A combination of the central approach with an iterative solving of a local Riemann problem is tested and behaviour of such numerical flux is reported. An extension to three dimensions is implemented using a dimension by dimension approach, hence, no complicated dimensional splitting need to be introduced. The code is fully parallelized with the MPI library. Several standard hydrodynamic tests in one, two and three dimensions were performed and their results are presented. (author)

Development of throughflow calculation code for axial flow compressors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ji Hwan; Kim, Hyeun Min; No, Hee Cheon

2005-01-01

The power conversion systems of the current HTGRs are based on closed Brayton cycle and major concern is thermodynamic performance of the axial flow helium gas turbines. Particularly, the helium compressor has some unique design challenges compared to the air-breathing compressor such as high hub-to-tip ratios throughout the machine and a large number of stages due to the physical property of the helium and thermodynamic cycle. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a design and analysis code for helium compressor that can estimate the design point and off-design performance accurately. KAIST nuclear system laboratory has developed a compressor design and analysis code by means of throughflow calculation and several loss models. This paper presents the outline of the development of a throughflow calculation code and its verification results

Granular fingering as a mechanism for ridge formation in debris avalanche deposits: Laboratory experiments and implications for Tutupaca volcano, Peru

Science.gov (United States)

Valderrama, P.; Roche, O.; Samaniego, P.; van Wyk des Vries, B.; Araujo, G.

2018-01-01

The origin of subparallel, regularly-spaced longitudinal ridges often observed at the surface of volcanic and other rock avalanche deposits remains unclear. We addressed this issue through analogue laboratory experiments on flows of bi-disperse granular mixtures, because this type of flow is known to exhibit granular fingering that causes elongated structures resembling the ridges observed in nature. We considered four different mixtures of fine (300-400 μm) glass beads and coarse (600-710 μm to 900-1000 μm) angular crushed fruit stones, with particle size ratios of 1.9-2.7 and mass fractions of the coarse component of 5-50 wt%. The coarse particles segregated at the flow surface and accumulated at the front where flow instabilities with a well-defined wavelength grew. These formed granular fingers made of coarse-rich static margins delimiting fines-rich central channels. Coalescence of adjacent finger margins created regular spaced longitudinal ridges, which became topographic highs as finger channels drained at final emplacement stages. Three distinct deposit morphologies were observed: 1) Joined fingers with ridges were formed at low (≤ 1.9) size ratio and moderate (10-20 wt%) coarse fraction whereas 2) separate fingers or 3) poorly developed fingers, forming series of frontal lobes, were created at larger size ratios and/or higher coarse contents. Similar ridges and lobes are observed at the debris avalanche deposits of Tutupaca volcano, Peru, suggesting that the processes operating in the experiments can also occur in nature. This implies that volcanic (and non-volcanic) debris avalanches can behave as granular flows, which has important implications for interpretation of deposits and for modeling. Such behaviour may be acquired as the collapsing material disaggregates and forms a granular mixture composed by a right grain size distribution in which particle segregation can occur. Limited fragmentation and block sliding, or grain size distributions

Development of a large-scale general purpose two-phase flow analysis code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terasaka, Haruo; Shimizu, Sensuke

2001-01-01

A general purpose three-dimensional two-phase flow analysis code has been developed for solving large-scale problems in industrial fields. The code uses a two-fluid model to describe the conservation equations for two-phase flow in order to be applicable to various phenomena. Complicated geometrical conditions are modeled by FAVOR method in structured grid systems, and the discretization equations are solved by a modified SIMPLEST scheme. To reduce computing time a matrix solver for the pressure correction equation is parallelized with OpenMP. Results of numerical examples show that the accurate solutions can be obtained efficiently and stably. (author)

Granular gas dynamics

CERN Document Server

Brilliantov, Nikolai

2003-01-01

While there is not yet any general theory for granular materials, significant progress has been achieved for dilute systems, also called granular gases. The contributions in this book address both the kinetic approach one using the Boltzmann equation for dissipative gases as well as the less established hydrodynamic description. The last part of the book is devoted to driven granular gases and their analogy with molecular fluids. Care has been taken so as to present the material in a pedagogical and self-contained way and this volume will thus be particularly useful to nonspecialists and newcomers to the field.

Enhanced desalination performance of membrane capacitive deionization cells by packing the flow chamber with granular activated carbon.

Science.gov (United States)

Bian, Yanhong; Yang, Xufei; Liang, Peng; Jiang, Yong; Zhang, Changyong; Huang, Xia

2015-11-15

A new design of membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) cell was constructed by packing the cell's flow chamber with granular activated carbon (GAC). The GAC packed-MCDI (GAC-MCDI) delivered higher (1.2-2.5 times) desalination rates than the regular MCDI at all test NaCl concentrations (∼ 100-1000 mg/L). The greatest performance enhancement by packed GAC was observed when treating saline water with an initial NaCl concentration of 100 mg/L. Several different GAC materials were tested and they all exhibited similar enhancement effects. Comparatively, packing the MCDI's flow chamber with glass beads (GB; non-conductive) and graphite granules (GG; conductive but with lower specific surface area than GAC) resulted in inferior desalination performance. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis showed that the GAC-MCDI had considerably smaller internal resistance than the regular MCDI (∼ 19.2 ± 1.2 Ω versus ∼ 1222 ± 15 Ω at 100 mg/L NaCl). The packed GAC also decreased the ionic resistance across the flow chamber (∼ 1.49 ± 0.05 Ω versus ∼ 1130 ± 12 Ω at 100 mg/L NaCl). The electric double layer (EDL) formed on the GAC surface was considered to store salt ions during electrosorption, and facilitate the ion transport in the flow chamber because of the higher ion conductivity in the EDLs than in the bulk solution, thereby enhancing the MCDI's desalination rate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the Representation of Aquifer Compressibility in General Subsurface Flow Codes: How an Alternate Definition of Aquifer Compressibility Matches Results from the Groundwater Flow Equation

Science.gov (United States)

Birdsell, D.; Karra, S.; Rajaram, H.

2017-12-01

The governing equations for subsurface flow codes in deformable porous media are derived from the fluid mass balance equation. One class of these codes, which we call general subsurface flow (GSF) codes, does not explicitly track the motion of the solid porous media but does accept general constitutive relations for porosity, density, and fluid flux. Examples of GSF codes include PFLOTRAN, FEHM, STOMP, and TOUGH2. Meanwhile, analytical and numerical solutions based on the groundwater flow equation have assumed forms for porosity, density, and fluid flux. We review the derivation of the groundwater flow equation, which uses the form of Darcy's equation that accounts for the velocity of fluids with respect to solids and defines the soil matrix compressibility accordingly. We then show how GSF codes have a different governing equation if they use the form of Darcy's equation that is written only in terms of fluid velocity. The difference is seen in the porosity change, which is part of the specific storage term in the groundwater flow equation. We propose an alternative definition of soil matrix compressibility to correct for the untracked solid velocity. Simulation results show significantly less error for our new compressibility definition than the traditional compressibility when compared to analytical solutions from the groundwater literature. For example, the error in one calculation for a pumped sandstone aquifer goes from 940 to <70 Pa when the new compressibility is used. Code users and developers need to be aware of assumptions in the governing equations and constitutive relations in subsurface flow codes, and our newly-proposed compressibility function should be incorporated into GSF codes.

Computational investigation of the flow field contribution to improve electricity generation in granular activated carbon-assisted microbial fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Lei; Li, Jian; Battaglia, Francine; He, Zhen

2016-11-01

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) offer an alternative approach to treat wastewater with less energy input and direct electricity generation. To optimize MFC anodic performance, adding granular activated carbon (GAC) has been proved to be an effective way, most likely due to the enlarged electrode surface for biomass attachment and improved mixing of the flow field. The impact of a flow field on the current enhancement within a porous anode medium (e.g., GAC) has not been well understood before, and thus is investigated in this study by using mathematical modeling of the multi-order Butler-Volmer equation with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques. By comparing three different CFD cases (without GAC, with GAC as a nonreactive porous medium, and with GAC as a reactive porous medium), it is demonstrated that adding GAC contributes to a uniform flow field and a total current enhancement of 17%, a factor that cannot be neglected in MFC design. However, in an actual MFC operation, this percentage could be even higher because of the microbial competition and energy loss issues within a porous medium. The results of the present study are expected to help with formulating strategies to optimize MFC with a better flow pattern design.

Simulation of single-phase rod bundle flow. Comparison between CFD-code ESTET, PWR core code THYC and experimental results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mur, J.; Larrauri, D.

1998-07-01

Computer simulation of flow in configurations close to pressurized water reactor (PWR) geometry is of great interest for Electricite de France (EDF). Although simulation of the flow through a whole PWR core with an all purpose CFD-code is not yet achievable, such a tool cna be quite useful to perform numerical experiments in order to try and improve the modeling introduced in computer codes devoted to reactor core thermal-hydraulic analysis. Further to simulation in small bare rod bundle configurations, the present study is focused on the simulation, with CFD-code ESTET and PWR core code THYC, of the flow in the experimental configuration VATICAN-1. ESTET simulation results are compared on the one hand to local velocity and concentration measurements, on the other hand with subchannel averaged values calculated by THYC. As far as the comparison with measurements is concerned, ESTET results are quite satisfactory relatively to available experimental data and their uncertainties. The effect of spacer grids and the prediction of the evolution of an unbalanced velocity profile seem to be correctly treated. As far as the comparison with THYC subchannel averaged values is concerned, the difficulty of a direct comparison between subchannel averaged and local values is pointed out. ESTET calculated local values are close to experimental local values. ESTET subchannel averaged values are also close to THYC calculation results. Thus, THYC results are satisfactory whereas their direct comparison to local measurements could show some disagreement. (author)

A three-dimensional simulation of gas/particle flow and ozone decomposition in the riser of a circulating fluidized bed

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Kim Granly; Solberg, Tron; Hjertager, Bjørn Helge

2004-01-01

The isothermal decomposition of ozone has been implemented in the CFD code FLOTRACS-MP-3D. The code is a 3D multiphase computational fluid dynamics code with an Eulerian description of both gas and particle phase. The turbulent motion of the particulate phase is modeled using the kinetic theory...... for granular flow, and the gas phase turbulence is modeled using a Sub-Grid-Scale model, cf. Ibsen et al. (2001). The decomposition reaction is studied in a 3D representation of a 0.254 m i.d. riser, which has been studied experimentally by Ouyang et al. (1993). The authors obtained profiles of ozone...

Textural evidence for jamming and dewatering of a sub-surface, fluid-saturated granular flow

Science.gov (United States)

Sherry, T. J.; Rowe, C. D.; Kirkpatrick, J. D.; Brodsky, E. E.

2011-12-01

Sand injectites are spectacular examples of large-scale granular flows involving migration of hundreds of cubic meters of sand slurry over hundreds of meters to kilometers in the sub-surface. By studying the macro- and microstructural textures of a kilometer-scale sand injectite, we interpret the fluid flow regimes during emplacement and define the timing of formation of specific textures in the injected material. Fluidized sand sourced from the Santa Margarita Fm., was injected upward into the Santa Cruz Mudstone, Santa Cruz County, California. The sand injectite exposed at Yellow Bank Beach records emplacement of both hydrocarbon and aqueous sand slurries. Elongate, angular mudstone clasts were ripped from the wall rock during sand migration, providing evidence for high velocity, turbid flow. However, clast long axis orientations are consistently sub-horizontal suggesting the slurry transitioned to a laminar flow as the flow velocity decreased in the sill-like intrusion. Millimeter to centimeter scale laminations are ubiquitous throughout the sand body and are locally parallel to the mudstone clast long axes. The laminations are distinct in exposure because alternating layers are preferentially cemented with limonite sourced from later groundwater infiltration. Quantitative microstructural analyses show that the laminations are defined by subtle oscillations in grain alignment between limonite and non-limonite stained layers. Grain packing, size and shape distributions do not vary. The presence of limonite in alternating layers results from differential infiltration of groundwater, indicating permeability changes between the layers despite minimal grain scale differences. Convolute dewatering structures deform the laminations. Dolomite-cemented sand, a signature of hydrocarbon saturation, forms irregular bodies that cross-cut the laminations and dewatering structures. Laminations are not formed in the dolomite-cemented sand. The relative viscosity difference

Granular avalanches on the Moon: Mass-wasting conditions, processes, and features

Science.gov (United States)

Kokelaar, B. P.; Bahia, R. S.; Joy, K. H.; Viroulet, S.; Gray, J. M. N. T.

2017-09-01

Seven lunar crater sites of granular avalanches are studied utilizing high-resolution images (0.42-1.3 m/pixel) from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera; one, in Kepler crater, is examined in detail. All the sites are slopes of debris extensively aggraded by frictional freezing at their dynamic angle of repose, four in craters formed in basaltic mare and three in the anorthositic highlands. Diverse styles of mass wasting occur, and three types of dry-debris flow deposit are recognized: (1) multiple channel-and-lobe type, with coarse-grained levees and lobate terminations that impound finer debris, (2) single-surge polylobate type, with subparallel arrays of lobes and fingers with segregated coarse-grained margins, and (3) multiple-ribbon type, with tracks reflecting reworked substrate, minor levees, and no coarse terminations. The latter type results from propagation of granular erosion-deposition waves down slopes dominantly of fine regolith, and it is the first recognized natural example. Dimensions, architectures, and granular segregation styles of the two coarse-grained deposit types are like those formed in natural and experimental avalanches on Earth, although the timescale of motion differs due to the reduced gravity. Influences of reduced gravity and fine-grained regolith on dynamics of granular flow and deposition appear slight, but we distinguish, for the first time, extensive remobilization of coarse talus by inundation with finer debris. The (few) sites show no clear difference attributable to the contrasting mare basalt and highland megaregolith host rocks and their fragmentation. This lunar study offers a benchmarking of deposit types that can be attributed to formation without influence of liquid or gas.

Type-2 fuzzy granular models

CERN Document Server

Sanchez, Mauricio A; Castro, Juan R

2017-01-01

In this book, a series of granular algorithms are proposed. A nature inspired granular algorithm based on Newtonian gravitational forces is proposed. A series of methods for the formation of higher-type information granules represented by Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Sets are also shown, via multiple approaches, such as Coefficient of Variation, principle of justifiable granularity, uncertainty-based information concept, and numerical evidence based. And a fuzzy granular application comparison is given as to demonstrate the differences in how uncertainty affects the performance of fuzzy information granules.

Grain-scale numerical modeling of granular mechanics and fluid dynamics and application in a glacial context

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damsgaard, Anders; Egholm, David Lundbek; Beem, Lucas H.

The macroscopic behavior of granular materials is the result of the self-organizing complexity of the constituent grains. Granular materials are known for their ability to change phase, where each phase is characterized by distinct mechanical properties. This rich generic phenomenology has made...... it difficult to constrain generalized and adequate mathematical models for their mechanical behavior. Glaciers and ice streams often move by deformation of underlying melt-water saturated sediments. Glacier flow models including subglacial sediment deformation use simplified a priori assumptions for sediment......, the method imposes intense computational requirements on the computational time step. The majority of steps in the granular dynamics algorithm are massively parallel, which makes the DEM an obvious candidate for exploiting the capabilities of modern GPUs. The granular computations are coupled to a fluid...

Granular-relational data mining how to mine relational data in the paradigm of granular computing ?

CERN Document Server

Hońko, Piotr

2017-01-01

This book provides two general granular computing approaches to mining relational data, the first of which uses abstract descriptions of relational objects to build their granular representation, while the second extends existing granular data mining solutions to a relational case. Both approaches make it possible to perform and improve popular data mining tasks such as classification, clustering, and association discovery. How can different relational data mining tasks best be unified? How can the construction process of relational patterns be simplified? How can richer knowledge from relational data be discovered? All these questions can be answered in the same way: by mining relational data in the paradigm of granular computing! This book will allow readers with previous experience in the field of relational data mining to discover the many benefits of its granular perspective. In turn, those readers familiar with the paradigm of granular computing will find valuable insights on its application to mining r...

Theoretical background and user's manual for the computer code on groundwater flow and radionuclide transport calculation in porous rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirakawa, Toshihiko; Hatanaka, Koichiro

2001-11-01

In order to document a basic manual about input data, output data, execution of computer code on groundwater flow and radionuclide transport calculation in heterogeneous porous rock, we investigated the theoretical background about geostatistical computer codes and the user's manual for the computer code on groundwater flow and radionuclide transport which calculates water flow in three dimension, the path of moving radionuclide, and one dimensional radionuclide migration. In this report, based on above investigation we describe the geostatistical background about simulating heterogeneous permeability field. And we describe construction of files, input and output data, a example of calculating of the programs which simulates heterogeneous permeability field, and calculates groundwater flow and radionuclide transport. Therefore, we can document a manual by investigating the theoretical background about geostatistical computer codes and the user's manual for the computer code on groundwater flow and radionuclide transport calculation. And we can model heterogeneous porous rock and analyze groundwater flow and radionuclide transport by utilizing the information from this report. (author)

Side Information and Noise Learning for Distributed Video Coding using Optical Flow and Clustering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Luong, Huynh Van; Rakêt, Lars Lau; Huang, Xin

2012-01-01

Distributed video coding (DVC) is a coding paradigm which exploits the source statistics at the decoder side to reduce the complexity at the encoder. The coding efficiency of DVC critically depends on the quality of side information generation and accuracy of noise modeling. This paper considers...... Transform Domain Wyner-Ziv (TDWZ) coding and proposes using optical flow to improve side information generation and clustering to improve noise modeling. The optical flow technique is exploited at the decoder side to compensate weaknesses of block based methods, when using motion-compensation to generate...... side information frames. Clustering is introduced to capture cross band correlation and increase local adaptivity in the noise modeling. This paper also proposes techniques to learn from previously decoded (WZ) frames. Different techniques are combined by calculating a number of candidate soft side...

Segregation of a binary granular mixture in a vibrating sawtooth base container

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mobarakabadi, Shahin; Adrang, Neda; Habibi, Mehdi; Oskoee, Ehsan Nedaaee

2017-01-01

Abstract.: A granular mixture of identical particles of different densities can be segregated when the system is shaken. We present an efficient method of continuously segregating a flow of randomly mixed identical spherical particles of different densities by shaking them in a

Large granular lymphocytosis in a patient infected with HTLV-II.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, M P; Biggar, R J; Hamlin-Green, G; Staal, S; Mann, D

1993-08-01

HTLV-II has been associated with a variety of lymphoproliferative disorders, including atypical hairy cell leukemia, chronic T cell leukemia, T prolymphocytic leukemia, and large granular lymphocytic leukemia. However, a direct or indirect role for HTLV-II in these disorders is not yet firmly established. We studied a patient diagnosed as having leukemia of the large granular lymphocyte (LGL) type who was HTLV-II seropositive, to determine if the expanded cell population was infected. Two populations of CD3-CD16+ LGL were identified; one was CD8+, the other CD8-. Populations of cells with these surface markers as well as normal CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ cells were separated by flow cytometric methods, DNA extracted, and gene regions of HTLV-II pol and tax amplified, using the polymerase chain reaction, and probed after Southern blotting. HTLV-II was detected in the CD3+CD8+ population, and not in the CD3-CD16+ large granular lymphocyte population. This finding indicates that the role of HTLV-II, if any, in LGL proliferation is indirect.

Liquid-Gas-Like Phase Transition in Sand Flow Under Microgravity

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yu; Zhu, Chongqiang; Xiang, Xiang; Mao, Wuwei

2015-06-01

In previous studies of granular flow, it has been found that gravity plays a compacting role, causing convection and stratification by density. However, there is a lack of research and analysis of the characteristics of different particles' motion under normal gravity contrary to microgravity. In this paper, we conduct model experiments on sand flow using a model test system based on a drop tower under microgravity, within which the characteristics and development processes of granular flow under microgravity are captured by high-speed cameras. The configurations of granular flow are simulated using a modified MPS (moving particle simulation), which is a mesh-free, pure Lagrangian method. Moreover, liquid-gas-like phase transitions in the sand flow under microgravity, including the transitions to "escaped", "jumping", and "scattered" particles are highlighted, and their effects on the weakening of shear resistance, enhancement of fluidization, and changes in particle-wall and particle-particle contact mode are analyzed. This study could help explain the surface geology evolution of small solar bodies and elucidate the nature of granular interaction.

Computer simulation of hopper flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potapov, A.V.; Campbell, C.S.

1996-01-01

This paper describes two-dimensional computer simulations of granular flow in plane hoppers. The simulations can reproduce an experimentally observed asymmetric unsteadiness for monodispersed particle sizes, but also could eliminate it by adding a small amount of polydispersity. This appears to be a result of the strong packings that may be formed by monodispersed particles and is thus a noncontinuum effect. The internal stress state was also sampled, which among other things, allows an evaluation of common assumptions made in granular material models. These showed that the internal friction coefficient is far from a constant, which is in contradiction to common models based on plasticity theory which assume that the material is always at the point of imminent yield. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that rapid granular flow theory, another common modeling technique, is inapplicable to this problem even near the exit where the flow is moving its fastest. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Empirical Evaluation of Superposition Coded Multicasting for Scalable Video

KAUST Repository

Chun Pong Lau; Shihada, Basem; Pin-Han Ho

2013-01-01

In this paper we investigate cross-layer superposition coded multicast (SCM). Previous studies have proven its effectiveness in exploiting better channel capacity and service granularities via both analytical and simulation approaches. However

HYDRASTAR - a code for stochastic simulation of groundwater flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norman, S.

1992-05-01

The computer code HYDRASTAR was developed as a tool for groundwater flow and transport simulations in the SKB 91 safety analysis project. Its conceptual ideas can be traced back to a report by Shlomo Neuman in 1988, see the reference section. The main idea of the code is the treatment of the rock as a stochastic continuum which separates it from the deterministic methods previously employed by SKB and also from the discrete fracture models. The current report is a comprehensive description of HYDRASTAR including such topics as regularization or upscaling of a hydraulic conductivity field, unconditional and conditional simulation of stochastic processes, numerical solvers for the hydrology and streamline equations and finally some proposals for future developments

The physics of debris flows

Science.gov (United States)

Iverson, Richard M.

1997-08-01

Recent advances in theory and experimentation motivate a thorough reassessment of the physics of debris flows. Analyses of flows of dry, granular solids and solid-fluid mixtures provide a foundation for a comprehensive debris flow theory, and experiments provide data that reveal the strengths and limitations of theoretical models. Both debris flow materials and dry granular materials can sustain shear stresses while remaining static; both can deform in a slow, tranquil mode characterized by enduring, frictional grain contacts; and both can flow in a more rapid, agitated mode characterized by brief, inelastic grain collisions. In debris flows, however, pore fluid that is highly viscous and nearly incompressible, composed of water with suspended silt and clay, can strongly mediate intergranular friction and collisions. Grain friction, grain collisions, and viscous fluid flow may transfer significant momentum simultaneously. Both the vibrational kinetic energy of solid grains (measured by a quantity termed the granular temperature) and the pressure of the intervening pore fluid facilitate motion of grains past one another, thereby enhancing debris flow mobility. Granular temperature arises from conversion of flow translational energy to grain vibrational energy, a process that depends on shear rates, grain properties, boundary conditions, and the ambient fluid viscosity and pressure. Pore fluid pressures that exceed static equilibrium pressures result from local or global debris contraction. Like larger, natural debris flows, experimental debris flows of ˜10 m³ of poorly sorted, water-saturated sediment invariably move as an unsteady surge or series of surges. Measurements at the base of experimental flows show that coarse-grained surge fronts have little or no pore fluid pressure. In contrast, finer-grained, thoroughly saturated debris behind surge fronts is nearly liquefied by high pore pressure, which persists owing to the great compressibility and moderate

The physics of debris flows

Science.gov (United States)

Iverson, R.M.

1997-01-01

Recent advances in theory and experimentation motivate a thorough reassessment of the physics of debris flows. Analyses of flows of dry, granular solids and solid-fluid mixtures provide a foundation for a comprehensive debris flow theory, and experiments provide data that reveal the strengths and limitations of theoretical models. Both debris flow materials and dry granular materials can sustain shear stresses while remaining static; both can deform in a slow, tranquil mode characterized by enduring, frictional grain contacts; and both can flow in a more rapid, agitated mode characterized by brief, inelastic grain collisions. In debris flows, however, pore fluid that is highly viscous and nearly incompressible, composed of water with suspended silt and clay, can strongly mediate intergranular friction and collisions. Grain friction, grain collisions, and viscous fluid flow may transfer significant momentum simultaneously. Both the vibrational kinetic energy of solid grains (measured by a quantity termed the granular temperature) and the pressure of the intervening pore fluid facilitate motion of grains past one another, thereby enhancing debris flow mobility. Granular temperature arises from conversion of flow translational energy to grain vibrational energy, a process that depends on shear rates, grain properties, boundary conditions, and the ambient fluid viscosity and pressure. Pore fluid pressures that exceed static equilibrium pressures result from local or global debris contraction. Like larger, natural debris flows, experimental debris flows of ???10 m3 of poorly sorted, water-saturated sediment invariably move as an unsteady surge or series of surges. Measurements at the base of experimental flows show that coarse-grained surge fronts have little or no pore fluid pressure. In contrast, finer-grained, thoroughly saturated debris behind surge fronts is nearly liquefied by high pore pressure, which persists owing to the great compressibility and moderate

PFLOTRAN: Reactive Flow & Transport Code for Use on Laptops to Leadership-Class Supercomputers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hammond, Glenn E.; Lichtner, Peter C.; Lu, Chuan; Mills, Richard T.

2012-04-18

PFLOTRAN, a next-generation reactive flow and transport code for modeling subsurface processes, has been designed from the ground up to run efficiently on machines ranging from leadership-class supercomputers to laptops. Based on an object-oriented design, the code is easily extensible to incorporate additional processes. It can interface seamlessly with Fortran 9X, C and C++ codes. Domain decomposition parallelism is employed, with the PETSc parallel framework used to manage parallel solvers, data structures and communication. Features of the code include a modular input file, implementation of high-performance I/O using parallel HDF5, ability to perform multiple realization simulations with multiple processors per realization in a seamless manner, and multiple modes for multiphase flow and multicomponent geochemical transport. Chemical reactions currently implemented in the code include homogeneous aqueous complexing reactions and heterogeneous mineral precipitation/dissolution, ion exchange, surface complexation and a multirate kinetic sorption model. PFLOTRAN has demonstrated petascale performance using 2{sup 17} processor cores with over 2 billion degrees of freedom. Accomplishments achieved to date include applications to the Hanford 300 Area and modeling CO{sub 2} sequestration in deep geologic formations.

Development and application of a fully implicit fluid dynamics code for multiphase flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morii, Tadashi; Ogawa, Yumi

1996-01-01

Multiphase flow frequently occurs in a progression of accidents of nuclear reactor severe core damage. The CHAMPAGNE code has been developed to analyze thermohydraulic behavior of multiphase and multicomponent fluid, which requires for its characterization more than one set of velocities, temperatures, masses per unit volume, and so forth at each location in the calculation domain. Calculations of multiphase flow often show physical and numerical instability. The effect of numerical stabilization obtained by the upwind differencing and the fully implicit techniques gives one a convergent solution more easily than other techniques. Several results calculated by the CHAMPAGNE code are explained

EFFECTS OF REACTOR CONDITIONS ON ELECTROCHEMICAL DECHLORINATION OF TRICHLOROETHYLENE USING GRANULAR-GRAPHITE ELECTRODE.

Science.gov (United States)

Trichloroethylene (TCE) was electrochemically dechlorinated in aqueous environments using granular graphite cathode in a mixed reactor. Effects of pH, current, electrolyte type, and flow rate on TCE dechlorination rate were evaluated. TCE dechlorination rate constant and gas pr...

Improved Flow Modeling in Transient Reactor Safety Analysis Computer Codes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holowach, M.J.; Hochreiter, L.E.; Cheung, F.B.

2002-01-01

A method of accounting for fluid-to-fluid shear in between calculational cells over a wide range of flow conditions envisioned in reactor safety studies has been developed such that it may be easily implemented into a computer code such as COBRA-TF for more detailed subchannel analysis. At a given nodal height in the calculational model, equivalent hydraulic diameters are determined for each specific calculational cell using either laminar or turbulent velocity profiles. The velocity profile may be determined from a separate CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis, experimental data, or existing semi-empirical relationships. The equivalent hydraulic diameter is then applied to the wall drag force calculation so as to determine the appropriate equivalent fluid-to-fluid shear caused by the wall for each cell based on the input velocity profile. This means of assigning the shear to a specific cell is independent of the actual wetted perimeter and flow area for the calculational cell. The use of this equivalent hydraulic diameter for each cell within a calculational subchannel results in a representative velocity profile which can further increase the accuracy and detail of heat transfer and fluid flow modeling within the subchannel when utilizing a thermal hydraulics systems analysis computer code such as COBRA-TF. Utilizing COBRA-TF with the flow modeling enhancement results in increased accuracy for a coarse-mesh model without the significantly greater computational and time requirements of a full-scale 3D (three-dimensional) transient CFD calculation. (authors)

An induction-based magnetohydrodynamic 3D code for finite magnetic Reynolds number liquid-metal flows in fusion blankets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawczynski, Charlie; Smolentsev, Sergey; Abdou, Mohamed

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A new induction-based magnetohydrodynamic code was developed using a finite difference method. • The code was benchmarked against purely hydrodynamic and MHD flows for low and finite magnetic Reynolds number. • Possible applications of the new code include liquid-metal MHD flows in the breeder blanket during unsteady events in the plasma. - Abstract: Most numerical analysis performed in the past for MHD flows in liquid-metal blankets were based on the assumption of low magnetic Reynolds number and involved numerical codes that utilized electric potential as the main electromagnetic variable. One limitation of this approach is that such codes cannot be applied to truly unsteady processes, for example, MHD flows of liquid-metal breeder/coolant during unsteady events in plasma, such as major plasma disruptions, edge-localized modes and vertical displacements, when changes in plasmas occur at millisecond timescales. Our newly developed code MOONS (Magnetohydrodynamic Object-Oriented Numerical Solver) uses the magnetic field as the main electromagnetic variable to relax the limitations of the low magnetic Reynolds number approximation for more realistic fusion reactor environments. The new code, written in Fortran, implements a 3D finite-difference method and is capable of simulating multi-material domains. The constrained transport method was implemented to evolve the magnetic field in time and assure that the magnetic field remains solenoidal within machine accuracy at every time step. Various verification tests have been performed including purely hydrodynamic flows and MHD flows at low and finite magnetic Reynolds numbers. Test results have demonstrated very good accuracy against known analytic solutions and other numerical data.

An induction-based magnetohydrodynamic 3D code for finite magnetic Reynolds number liquid-metal flows in fusion blankets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawczynski, Charlie; Smolentsev, Sergey, E-mail: sergey@fusion.ucla.edu; Abdou, Mohamed

2016-11-01

Highlights: • A new induction-based magnetohydrodynamic code was developed using a finite difference method. • The code was benchmarked against purely hydrodynamic and MHD flows for low and finite magnetic Reynolds number. • Possible applications of the new code include liquid-metal MHD flows in the breeder blanket during unsteady events in the plasma. - Abstract: Most numerical analysis performed in the past for MHD flows in liquid-metal blankets were based on the assumption of low magnetic Reynolds number and involved numerical codes that utilized electric potential as the main electromagnetic variable. One limitation of this approach is that such codes cannot be applied to truly unsteady processes, for example, MHD flows of liquid-metal breeder/coolant during unsteady events in plasma, such as major plasma disruptions, edge-localized modes and vertical displacements, when changes in plasmas occur at millisecond timescales. Our newly developed code MOONS (Magnetohydrodynamic Object-Oriented Numerical Solver) uses the magnetic field as the main electromagnetic variable to relax the limitations of the low magnetic Reynolds number approximation for more realistic fusion reactor environments. The new code, written in Fortran, implements a 3D finite-difference method and is capable of simulating multi-material domains. The constrained transport method was implemented to evolve the magnetic field in time and assure that the magnetic field remains solenoidal within machine accuracy at every time step. Various verification tests have been performed including purely hydrodynamic flows and MHD flows at low and finite magnetic Reynolds numbers. Test results have demonstrated very good accuracy against known analytic solutions and other numerical data.

Validation of two-phase flow code THYC on VATICAN experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maurel, F.; Portesse, A.; Rimbert, P.; Thomas, B.

1997-01-01

As part of a comprehensive program for THYC validation (THYC is a 3-dimensional two-phase flow computer code for PWR core configuration), an experimental project > has been initiated by the Direction des Etudes et Recherches of Electricite de France. Two mock-ups tested in Refrigerant-114, VATICAN-1 (with simple space grids) and VATICAN-2 (with mixing grids) were set up to investigate void fraction distributions using a single beam gamma densitometer. First, experiments were conducted with the VATICAN-1 mock-up. A set of constitutive laws to be used in rod bundles was determined but some doubts still remain for friction losses closure laws for oblique flow over tubes. From VATICAN-2 tests, calculations were performed using the standard set of correlations. Comparison with the experimental data shows an underprediction of void fraction by THYC in disturbed regions. Analyses highlight the poor treatment of axial relative velocity in these regions. A fitting of the radial and axial relative velocity values in the disturbed region improves the prediction of void fraction by the code but without any physical explanation. More analytical experiments should be carried out to validate friction losses closure laws for oblique flows and relative velocity downstream of a mixing grid. (author)

Validation of two-phase flow code THYC on VATICAN experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maurel, F.; Portesse, A.; Rimbert, P.; Thomas, B. [EDF/DER, Dept. TTA, 78 - Chatou (France)

1997-12-31

As part of a comprehensive program for THYC validation (THYC is a 3-dimensional two-phase flow computer code for PWR core configuration), an experimental project <> has been initiated by the Direction des Etudes et Recherches of Electricite de France. Two mock-ups tested in Refrigerant-114, VATICAN-1 (with simple space grids) and VATICAN-2 (with mixing grids) were set up to investigate void fraction distributions using a single beam gamma densitometer. First, experiments were conducted with the VATICAN-1 mock-up. A set of constitutive laws to be used in rod bundles was determined but some doubts still remain for friction losses closure laws for oblique flow over tubes. From VATICAN-2 tests, calculations were performed using the standard set of correlations. Comparison with the experimental data shows an underprediction of void fraction by THYC in disturbed regions. Analyses highlight the poor treatment of axial relative velocity in these regions. A fitting of the radial and axial relative velocity values in the disturbed region improves the prediction of void fraction by the code but without any physical explanation. More analytical experiments should be carried out to validate friction losses closure laws for oblique flows and relative velocity downstream of a mixing grid. (author)

Study of performances, stability and microbial characterization of a Sequencing Batch Biofilter Granular Reactor working at low recirculation flow.

Science.gov (United States)

De Sanctis, Marco; Beccari, Mario; Di Iaconi, Claudio; Majone, Mauro; Rossetti, Simona; Tandoi, Valter

2013-02-01

The Sequencing Batch Biofilter Granular Reactor (SBBGR) is a promising wastewater treatment technology characterized by high biomass concentration in the system, good depuration performance and low sludge production. Its main drawback is the high energy consumption required for wastewater recirculation through the reactor bed to ensure both shear stress and oxygen supply. Therefore, the effect of low recirculation flow on the long-term (38 months) performance of a laboratory scale SBBGR was studied. Both the microbial components of the granules, and their main metabolic activities were evaluated (heterotrophic oxidation, nitrification, denitrification, fermentation, sulphate reduction and methanogenesis). The results indicate that despite reduced recirculation, the SBBGR system maintained many of its advantageous characteristics. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Why granular media are thermal after all

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Mario; Jiang, Yimin

2017-06-01

Two approaches exist to account for granular behavior. The thermal one considers the total entropy, which includes microscopic degrees of freedom such as phonons; the athermal one (as with the Edward entropy) takes grains as elementary. Granular solid hydrodynamics (GSH) belongs to the first, DEM, granular kinetic theory and athermal statistical mechanics (ASM) to the second. A careful discussion of their conceptual differences is given here. Three noteworthy insights or results are: (1) While DEM and granular kinetic theory are well justified to take grains as elementary, any athermal entropic consideration is bound to run into trouble. (2) Many general principles are taken as invalid in granular media. Yet within the thermal approach, energy conservation and fluctuation-dissipation theorem remain valid, granular temperatures equilibrate, and phase space is well explored in a grain at rest. Hence these are abnormalities of the athermal approximation, not of granular media as such. (3) GSH is a wide-ranged continuum mechanical description of granular dynamics.

Role of gravity or confining pressure and contact stiffness in granular rheology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Singh, A.; Saitoh, K.; Magnanimo, Vanessa; Luding, Stefan

2015-01-01

The steady-state shear rheology of granular materials is investigated in slow quasistatic and inertial flows. The effect of gravity (thus the local pressure) and the often-neglected contact stiffness are the focus of this study. A series of particle simulations are performed on a weakly frictional

Direct numerical simulation of granular flows with fluid; Simulation numerique directe d'ecoulements granulaires en presence de fluide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Komiwes, V.

1999-09-01

Numerical models applied to simulation of granular flow with fluid are developed. The physical model selected to describe particles flow is a discrete approach. Particle trajectories are calculated by the Newton law and collision is describe by a soft-sphere approach. The fluid flow is modelled by Navier-Stokes equations. The modelling of the momentum transfer depends on the resolution scale: for a scale of the order of the particle diameter, it is modelled by a drag-law and for a scale smaller than the particle diameter, it is directly calculated by stress tensor computation around particles. The direct model is used to find representative elementary volume and prove the local character of the Ergun's law. This application shows the numerical (mesh size), physical (Reynolds number) and computational (CPU time and memory consumptions) limitations. The drag law model and the direct model are validated with analytical and empirical solutions and compared. For the two models, the CPU time and the memory consumptions are discussed. The drag law model is applied to the simulation of gas-solid dense fluidized-beds. In the case of uniform gas distribution, the fluidized-bed simulation heights are compared to experimental data for particle of group A and B of the Geldart classification. (author)

Breakthrough of toluene vapours in granular activated carbon filled packed bed reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohan, N.; Kannan, G.K.; Upendra, S.; Subha, R.; Kumar, N.S.

2009-01-01

The objective of this research was to determine the toluene removal efficiency and breakthrough time using commercially available coconut shell-based granular activated carbon in packed bed reactor. To study the effect of toluene removal and break point time of the granular activated carbon (GAC), the parameters studied were bed lengths (2, 3, and 4 cm), concentrations (5, 10, and 15 mg l -1 ) and flow rates (20, 40, and 60 ml/min). The maximum percentage removal of 90% was achieved and the maximum carbon capacity for 5 mg l -1 of toluene, 60 ml/min flow rate and 3 cm bed length shows 607.14 mg/g. The results of dynamic adsorption in a packed bed were consistent with those of equilibrium adsorption by gravimetric method. The breakthrough time and quantity shows that GAC with appropriate surface area can be utilized for air cleaning filters. The result shows that the physisorption plays main role in toluene removal.

Correlations and the Ring-Kinetic Equation in Dense Sheared Granular Flows

Science.gov (United States)

Kumaran, V.

A formal way of deriving fluctuation-correlation relations in densesheared granular media, starting with the Enskog approximation for the collision integral in the Chapman-Enskog theory, is discussed. The correlation correction to the viscosity is obtained using the ring-kinetic equation, in terms of the correlations in the hydrodynamic modes of the linearised Enskog equation. It is shown that the Green-Kubo formula for the shear viscosity emerges from the two-body correlation function obtained from the ring-kinetic equation.

Impact Compaction of a Granular Material

Science.gov (United States)

Fenton, Gregg; Asay, Blaine; Todd, Steve; Grady, Dennis

2017-06-01

The dynamic behavior of granular materials has importance to a variety of engineering applications. Although, the mechanical behavior of granular materials have been studied extensively for several decades, the dynamic behavior of these materials remains poorly understood. High-quality experimental data are needed to improve our general understanding of granular material compaction physics. This paper describes how an instrumented plunger impact system can be used to measure the compaction process for granular materials at high and controlled strain rates and subsequently used for computational modelling. The experimental technique relies on a gas-gun driven plunger system to generate a compaction wave through a volume of granular material. This volume of material has been redundantly instrumented along the bed length to track the progression of the compaction wave, and the piston displacement is measured with Photon Doppler Velocimetry (PDV). Using the gathered experimental data along with the initial material tap density, a granular material equation of state can be determined.

Simulation of the distribution of flow and phases in vertical and horizontal bundles using the ASSERT-4 subchannel code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carver, M.B.; Tahir, A.; Kiteley, J.C.; Banas, A.O.; Rowe, D.S.; Midvidy, W.I.

1990-01-01

ASSERT-4 is a subchannel code based on the non-equilibrium equations of two-fluid flow. The paper briefly describes the equations and constitutive models used in the code, and reviews a number of validation exercises in which code results were compared to measurements in vertical and horizontal two-phase flows. (orig.)

Examination of wall functions for a Parabolized Navier-Stokes code for supersonic flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alsbrooks, T.H. [New Mexico Univ., Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

1993-04-01

Solutions from a Parabolized Navier-Stokes (PNS) code with an algebraic turbulence model are compared with wall functions. The wall functions represent the turbulent flow profiles in the viscous sublayer, thus removing many grid points from the solution procedure. The wall functions are intended to replace the computed profiles between the body surface and a match point in the logarithmic region. A supersonic adiabatic flow case was examined first. This adiabatic case indicates close agreement between computed velocity profiles near the wall and the wall function for a limited range of suitable match points in the logarithmic region. In an attempt to improve marching stability, a laminar to turbulent transition routine was implemented at the start of the PNS code. Implementing the wall function with the transitional routine in the PNS code is expected to reduce computational time while maintaining good accuracy in computed skin friction.

Examination of wall functions for a Parabolized Navier-Stokes code for supersonic flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alsbrooks, T.H. (New Mexico Univ., Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering)

1993-01-01

Solutions from a Parabolized Navier-Stokes (PNS) code with an algebraic turbulence model are compared with wall functions. The wall functions represent the turbulent flow profiles in the viscous sublayer, thus removing many grid points from the solution procedure. The wall functions are intended to replace the computed profiles between the body surface and a match point in the logarithmic region. A supersonic adiabatic flow case was examined first. This adiabatic case indicates close agreement between computed velocity profiles near the wall and the wall function for a limited range of suitable match points in the logarithmic region. In an attempt to improve marching stability, a laminar to turbulent transition routine was implemented at the start of the PNS code. Implementing the wall function with the transitional routine in the PNS code is expected to reduce computational time while maintaining good accuracy in computed skin friction.

POST: a postprocessor computer code for producing three-dimensional movies of two-phase flow in a reactor vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taggart, K.A.; Liles, D.R.

1977-08-01

The development of the TRAC computer code for analysis of LOCAs in light-water reactors involves the use of a three-dimensional (r-theta-z), two-fluid hydrodynamics model to describe the two-phase flow of steam and water through the reactor vessel. One of the major problems involved in interpreting results from this code is the presentation of three-dimensional flow patterns. The purpose of the report is to present a partial solution to this data display problem. A first version of a code which produces three-dimensional movies of flow in the reactor vessel has been written and debugged. This code (POST) is used as a postprocessor in conjunction with a stand alone three-dimensional two-phase hydrodynamics code (CYLTF) which is a test bed for the three-dimensional algorithms to be used in TRAC

Comprehensive Benchmark Suite for Simulation of Particle Laden Flows Using the Discrete Element Method with Performance Profiles from the Multiphase Flow with Interface eXchanges (MFiX) Code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Peiyuan [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Brown, Timothy [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Fullmer, William D. [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Hauser, Thomas [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Hrenya, Christine [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Grout, Ray [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Sitaraman, Hariswaran [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-01-29

Five benchmark problems are developed and simulated with the computational fluid dynamics and discrete element model code MFiX. The benchmark problems span dilute and dense regimes, consider statistically homogeneous and inhomogeneous (both clusters and bubbles) particle concentrations and a range of particle and fluid dynamic computational loads. Several variations of the benchmark problems are also discussed to extend the computational phase space to cover granular (particles only), bidisperse and heat transfer cases. A weak scaling analysis is performed for each benchmark problem and, in most cases, the scalability of the code appears reasonable up to approx. 103 cores. Profiling of the benchmark problems indicate that the most substantial computational time is being spent on particle-particle force calculations, drag force calculations and interpolating between discrete particle and continuum fields. Hardware performance analysis was also carried out showing significant Level 2 cache miss ratios and a rather low degree of vectorization. These results are intended to serve as a baseline for future developments to the code as well as a preliminary indicator of where to best focus performance optimizations.

Alternative conceptual models and codes for unsaturated flow in fractured tuff: Preliminary assessments for GWTT-95

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ho, C.K.; Altman, S.J.; Arnold, B.W.

1995-09-01

Groundwater travel time (GWTT) calculations will play an important role in addressing site-suitability criteria for the potential high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain,Nevada. In support of these calculations, Preliminary assessments of the candidate codes and models are presented in this report. A series of benchmark studies have been designed to address important aspects of modeling flow through fractured media representative of flow at Yucca Mountain. Three codes (DUAL, FEHMN, and TOUGH 2) are compared in these benchmark studies. DUAL is a single-phase, isothermal, two-dimensional flow simulator based on the dual mixed finite element method. FEHMN is a nonisothermal, multiphase, multidimensional simulator based primarily on the finite element method. TOUGH2 is anon isothermal, multiphase, multidimensional simulator based on the integral finite difference method. Alternative conceptual models of fracture flow consisting of the equivalent continuum model (ECM) and the dual permeability (DK) model are used in the different codes

PEBBLES: A COMPUTER CODE FOR MODELING PACKING, FLOW AND RECIRCULATIONOF PEBBLES IN A PEBBLE BED REACTOR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joshua J. Cogliati; Abderrafi M. Ougouag

2006-10-01

A comprehensive, high fidelity model for pebble flow has been developed and embodied in the PEBBLES computer code. In this paper, a description of the physical artifacts included in the model is presented and some results from using the computer code for predicting the features of pebble flow and packing in a realistic pebble bed reactor design are shown. The sensitivity of models to various physical parameters is also discussed.

Granular boycott effect: How to mix granulates

Science.gov (United States)

Duran, J.; Mazozi, T.

1999-11-01

Granular material can display the basic features of the Boycott effect in sedimentation. A simple experiment shows that granular material falls faster in an inclined tube than in a vertical tube, in analogy with the Boycott effect. As long as the inclination of the tube is above the avalanche threshold, descent of granular material in the tube causes internal convection which in turn results in an efficient mixture of the granular components. By contrast, as in analogous experiments in two dimensions, a vertical fall of granular material occurs via successive block fragmentation, resulting in poor mixing.

A code to study the water flow in a thermal test loop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saunier, Jean-Pierre; Duffourt, Nicole; Lago, Bernard

1965-01-01

A first part reports the theoretical and analytical formulation of a flow within a specific circuit used in a thermal test installation. Equations in the different parts of the circuit are developed, and their resolution for integration into a computation code is described, including boundary conditions, constants and input functions (cell characteristics, fluid characteristics, heat transfer, friction, time slicing). The second part reports an extension of this theoretical and analytical development and code development to a two-branch circuit

Modeling of Hydrodynamics of a Highly Concentrated Granular Medium on the Basis of a Power-Law

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shvab Alexander

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the movement of the granular medium at a high concentration on the basis of the “power” of the liquid. Based on the original partial slip boundary conditions on the walls of protection obtained with experimental and numerical data to flow in the channel at a flow obstacle.

A 3D-CFD code for accurate prediction of fluid flows and fluid forces in seals

Science.gov (United States)

Athavale, M. M.; Przekwas, A. J.; Hendricks, R. C.

1994-01-01

Current and future turbomachinery requires advanced seal configurations to control leakage, inhibit mixing of incompatible fluids and to control the rotodynamic response. In recognition of a deficiency in the existing predictive methodology for seals, a seven year effort was established in 1990 by NASA's Office of Aeronautics Exploration and Technology, under the Earth-to-Orbit Propulsion program, to develop validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) concepts, codes and analyses for seals. The effort will provide NASA and the U.S. Aerospace Industry with advanced CFD scientific codes and industrial codes for analyzing and designing turbomachinery seals. An advanced 3D CFD cylindrical seal code has been developed, incorporating state-of-the-art computational methodology for flow analysis in straight, tapered and stepped seals. Relevant computational features of the code include: stationary/rotating coordinates, cylindrical and general Body Fitted Coordinates (BFC) systems, high order differencing schemes, colocated variable arrangement, advanced turbulence models, incompressible/compressible flows, and moving grids. This paper presents the current status of code development, code demonstration for predicting rotordynamic coefficients, numerical parametric study of entrance loss coefficients for generic annular seals, and plans for code extensions to labyrinth, damping, and other seal configurations.

PolyPole-1: An accurate numerical algorithm for intra-granular fission gas release

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pizzocri, D.; Rabiti, C.; Luzzi, L.; Barani, T.; Van Uffelen, P.; Pastore, G.

2016-01-01

The transport of fission gas from within the fuel grains to the grain boundaries (intra-granular fission gas release) is a fundamental controlling mechanism of fission gas release and gaseous swelling in nuclear fuel. Hence, accurate numerical solution of the corresponding mathematical problem needs to be included in fission gas behaviour models used in fuel performance codes. Under the assumption of equilibrium between trapping and resolution, the process can be described mathematically by a single diffusion equation for the gas atom concentration in a grain. In this paper, we propose a new numerical algorithm (PolyPole-1) to efficiently solve the fission gas diffusion equation in time-varying conditions. The PolyPole-1 algorithm is based on the analytic modal solution of the diffusion equation for constant conditions, combined with polynomial corrective terms that embody the information on the deviation from constant conditions. The new algorithm is verified by comparing the results to a finite difference solution over a large number of randomly generated operation histories. Furthermore, comparison to state-of-the-art algorithms used in fuel performance codes demonstrates that the accuracy of PolyPole-1 is superior to other algorithms, with similar computational effort. Finally, the concept of PolyPole-1 may be extended to the solution of the general problem of intra-granular fission gas diffusion during non-equilibrium trapping and resolution, which will be the subject of future work. - Highlights: • A new numerical algorithm (PolyPole-1) for intra-granular fission gas release in time-varying conditions is developed. • The concept combines the modal analytic solution for constant conditions and a polynomial correction. • PolyPole-1 is extensively verified and compared to other state-of-the-art algorithms. • PolyPole-1 exhibits a superior accuracy and a similar computational time relative to other algorithms. • The PolyPole-1 algorithm can be

PolyPole-1: An accurate numerical algorithm for intra-granular fission gas release

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pizzocri, D. [Politecnico di Milano, Department of Energy, Nuclear Engineering Division, Via La Masa 34, 20156 Milano (Italy); Rabiti, C. [Idaho National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415-3840 (United States); Luzzi, L.; Barani, T. [Politecnico di Milano, Department of Energy, Nuclear Engineering Division, Via La Masa 34, 20156 Milano (Italy); Van Uffelen, P. [European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, P.O. Box 2340, 76125 Karlsruhe (Germany); Pastore, G., E-mail: giovanni.pastore@inl.gov [Idaho National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415-3840 (United States)

2016-09-15

The transport of fission gas from within the fuel grains to the grain boundaries (intra-granular fission gas release) is a fundamental controlling mechanism of fission gas release and gaseous swelling in nuclear fuel. Hence, accurate numerical solution of the corresponding mathematical problem needs to be included in fission gas behaviour models used in fuel performance codes. Under the assumption of equilibrium between trapping and resolution, the process can be described mathematically by a single diffusion equation for the gas atom concentration in a grain. In this paper, we propose a new numerical algorithm (PolyPole-1) to efficiently solve the fission gas diffusion equation in time-varying conditions. The PolyPole-1 algorithm is based on the analytic modal solution of the diffusion equation for constant conditions, combined with polynomial corrective terms that embody the information on the deviation from constant conditions. The new algorithm is verified by comparing the results to a finite difference solution over a large number of randomly generated operation histories. Furthermore, comparison to state-of-the-art algorithms used in fuel performance codes demonstrates that the accuracy of PolyPole-1 is superior to other algorithms, with similar computational effort. Finally, the concept of PolyPole-1 may be extended to the solution of the general problem of intra-granular fission gas diffusion during non-equilibrium trapping and resolution, which will be the subject of future work. - Highlights: • A new numerical algorithm (PolyPole-1) for intra-granular fission gas release in time-varying conditions is developed. • The concept combines the modal analytic solution for constant conditions and a polynomial correction. • PolyPole-1 is extensively verified and compared to other state-of-the-art algorithms. • PolyPole-1 exhibits a superior accuracy and a similar computational time relative to other algorithms. • The PolyPole-1 algorithm can be

Tap density equations of granular powders based on the rate process theory and the free volume concept.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Tian

2015-02-28

The tap density of a granular powder is often linked to the flowability via the Carr index that measures how tight a powder can be packed, under an assumption that more easily packed powders usually flow poorly. Understanding how particles are packed is important for revealing why a powder flows better than others. There are two types of empirical equations that were proposed to fit the experimental data of packing fractions vs. numbers of taps in the literature: the inverse logarithmic and the stretched exponential. Using the rate process theory and the free volume concept under the assumption that particles will obey similar thermodynamic laws during the tapping process if the "granular temperature" is defined in a different way, we obtain the tap density equations, and they are reducible to the two empirical equations currently widely used in literature. Our equations could potentially fit experimental data better with an additional adjustable parameter. The tapping amplitude and frequency, the weight of the granular materials, and the environmental temperature are grouped into this parameter that weighs the pace of the packing process. The current results, in conjunction with our previous findings, may imply that both "dry" (granular) and "wet" (colloidal and polymeric) particle systems are governed by the same physical mechanisms in term of the role of the free volume and how particles behave (a rate controlled process).

Studies concerning average volume flow and waterpacking anomalies in thermal-hydraulics codes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyczkowski, R.W.; Ching, J.T.; Mecham, D.C.

1977-01-01

One-dimensional hydrodynamic codes have been observed to exhibit anomalous behavior in the form of non-physical pressure oscillations and spikes. It is our experience that sometimes this anomaloous behavior can result in mass depletion, steam table failure and in severe cases, problem abortion. In addition, these non-physical pressure spikes can result in long running times when small time steps are needed in an attempt to cope with anomalous solution behavior. The source of these pressure spikes has been conjectured to be caused by nonuniform enthalpy distribution or wave reflection off the closed end of a pipe or abrupt changes in pressure history when the fluid changes from subcooled to two-phase conditions. It is demonstrated in this paper that many of the faults can be attributed to inadequate modeling of the average volume flow and the sharp fluid density front crossing a junction. General corrective models are difficult to devise since the causes of the problems touch on the very theoretical bases of the differential field equations and associated solution scheme. For example, the fluid homogeneity assumption and the numerical extrapolation scheme have placed severe restrictions on the capability of a code to adequately model certain physical phenomena involving fluid discontinuities. The need for accurate junction and local properties to describe phenomena internal to a control volume often points to additional lengthy computations that are difficult to justify in terms of computational efficiency. Corrective models that are economical to implement and use are developed. When incorporated into the one-dimensional, homogeneous transient thermal-hydraulic analysis computer code, RELAP4, they help mitigate many of the code's difficulties related to average volume flow and water-packing anomalies. An average volume flow model and a critical density model are presented. Computational improvements due to these models are also demonstrated

Settling properties of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) and aerobic granular sludge molasses (AGSM)

Science.gov (United States)

Mat Saad, Azlina; Aini Dahalan, Farrah; Ibrahim, Naimah; Yasina Yusuf, Sara; Aqlima Ahmad, Siti; Khalil, Khalilah Abdul

2018-03-01

Aerobic granulation technology is applied to treat domestic and industrial wastewater. The Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) cultivated has strong properties that appears to be denser and compact in physiological structure compared to the conventional activated sludge. It offers rapid settling for solid:liquid separation in wastewater treatment. Aerobic granules were developed using sequencing batch reactor (SBR) with intermittent aerobic - anaerobic mode with 8 cycles in 24 hr. This study examined the settling velocity performance of cultivated aerobic granular sludge (AGS) and aerobic granular sludge molasses (AGSM). The elemental composition in both AGS and AGSM were determined using X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The results showed that AGSM has higher settling velocity 30.5 m/h compared to AGS.

Uniform shock waves in disordered granular matter

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gómez, L.R.; Turner, A.M.; Vitelli, V.

2012-01-01

The confining pressure P is perhaps the most important parameter controlling the properties of granular matter. Strongly compressed granular media are, in many respects, simple solids in which elastic perturbations travel as ordinary phonons. However, the speed of sound in granular aggregates

The GC computer code for flow sheet simulation of pyrochemical processing of spent nuclear fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahluwalia, R.K.; Geyer, H.K.

1996-01-01

The GC computer code has been developed for flow sheet simulation of pyrochemical processing of spent nuclear fuel. It utilizes a robust algorithm SLG for analyzing simultaneous chemical reactions between species distributed across many phases. Models have been developed for analysis of the oxide fuel reduction process, salt recovery by electrochemical decomposition of lithium oxide, uranium separation from the reduced fuel by electrorefining, and extraction of fission products into liquid cadmium. The versatility of GC is demonstrated by applying the code to a flow sheet of current interest

Granular packing as model glass formers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yujie

2017-01-01

Static granular packings are model hard-sphere glass formers. The nature of glass transition has remained a hotly debated issue. We review recent experimental progresses in using granular materials to study glass transitions. We focus on the growth of glass order with five-fold symmetry in granular packings and relate the findings to both geometric frustration and random first-order phase transition theories. (paper)

Coded ultrasound for blood flow estimation using subband processing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gran, Fredrik; Udesen, Jesper; Nielsen, Michael bachmann

2007-01-01

This paper further investigates the use of coded excitation for blood flow estimation in medical ultrasound. Traditional autocorrelation estimators use narrow-band excitation signals to provide sufficient signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) and velocity estimation performance. In this paper, broadband...... coded signals are used to increase SNR, followed by sub-band processing. The received broadband signal, is filtered using a set of narrow-band filters. Estimating the velocity in each of the bands and averaging the results yields better performance compared to what would be possible when transmitting...... a narrow-band pulse directly. Also, the spatial resolution of the narrow-band pulse would be too poor for brightness-mode (B-mode) imaging and additional transmissions would be required to update the B-mode image. In the described approach, there is no need for additional transmissions, because...

A study on the numerical instability of COBRA-series subchannel analysis codes at low-pressure and low-flow conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoo, Y. J.; Hwnag, T. H.; Kim, K. K.; Ji, S. K.

2001-01-01

The numerical instability at low-pressure and low-flow conditions has been confirmed to be the common problem of the existing COBRA-series subchannel analysis codes. In addition, the range of operating conditions at which the analyses by the codes are impossible has been evaluated. To evaluate the MATRA's inapplicable range of operating conditions of the SMART core that is to be operated at the low flow condition, i.e. about 30% of the flow of the existing commercial pressurized water reactors at the steady-state condition, the analyses of various operating conditions were performed by using several representative COBRA-series subchannel analysis codes including MATRA. TORC of CE, COBRA3CP of Siemens/KWU, COBRA4I of PNL, and MATRA of KAERI were chosen as the subchannel analysis codes to be evaluated. The various operating conditions used in the CHF tests carried out at the Winfrith Establishment of UKAEA were chosen as the conditions to be analyzed. As the result, the numerical instabilities at low-pressure and low-flow conditions occurred in the analyses by all of the codes. It was revealed that the MATRA code, which numerically more stable thatn the other codes, was not able to analyze the conditions of the pressure not more than 100 bar and the mass velocity not more than 300 kg/sec-m 2 . Hereafter it is required to find out the exact reason for the numerical instability of the existing COBRA-series subchannel analysis codes at low-pressure and low-flow conditions and to devise the new method to get over that numerical problem

On the Representation of the Porosity-Pressure Relationship in General Subsurface Flow Codes

Science.gov (United States)

Birdsell, Daniel T.; Karra, Satish; Rajaram, Harihar

2018-02-01

The governing equations for subsurface flow codes in a deformable porous media are derived from the balance of fluid mass and Darcy's equation. One class of these codes, which we call general subsurface flow codes (GSFs), allow for more general constitutive relations for material properties such as porosity, permeability and density. Examples of GSFs include PFLOTRAN, FEHM, TOUGH2, STOMP, and some reservoir simulators such as BOAST. Depending on the constitutive relations used in GSFs, an inconsistency arises between the standard groundwater flow equation and the governing equation of GSFs, and we clarify that the reason for this inconsistency is because the Darcy's equation used in the GSFs should account for the velocity of fluid with respect to solid. Due to lack of awareness of this inconsistency, users of the GSFs tend to use a porosity-pressure relationship that comes from the standard groundwater flow equation and assumes that the relative velocity is already accounted for. For the Theis problem, we show that using this traditional relationship in the GSFs leads to significantly large errors. We propose an alternate porosity-pressure relationship that is consistent with the derivation of the governing equations in the GSFs where the solid velocity is not tracked, and show that, with this relationship, the results are more accurate for the Theis problem. The purpose of this note is to make the users and developers of these GSFs aware of this inconsistency and to advocate that the alternate porosity model derived here should be incorporated in GSFs.

Development of the three dimensional flow model in the SPACE code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Myung Taek; Park, Chan Eok; Kim, Shin Whan

2014-01-01

SPACE (Safety and Performance Analysis CodE) is a nuclear plant safety analysis code, which has been developed in the Republic of Korea through a joint research between the Korean nuclear industry and research institutes. The SPACE code has been developed with multi-dimensional capabilities as a requirement of the next generation safety code. It allows users to more accurately model the multi-dimensional flow behavior that can be exhibited in components such as the core, lower plenum, upper plenum and downcomer region. Based on generalized models, the code can model any configuration or type of fluid system. All the geometric quantities of mesh are described in terms of cell volume, centroid, face area, and face center, so that it can naturally represent not only the one dimensional (1D) or three dimensional (3D) Cartesian system, but also the cylindrical mesh system. It is possible to simulate large and complex domains by modelling the complex parts with a 3D approach and the rest of the system with a 1D approach. By 1D/3D co-simulation, more realistic conditions and component models can be obtained, providing a deeper understanding of complex systems, and it is expected to overcome the shortcomings of 1D system codes. (author)

Kinetics and mass-transfer phenomena in anaerobic granular sludge.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Gil, G; Seghezzo, L; Lettinga, G; Kleerebezem, R

2001-04-20

The kinetic properties of acetate-degrading methanogenic granular sludge of different mean diameters were assessed at different up-flow velocities (V(up)). Using this approach, the influence of internal and external mass transfer could be estimated. First, the apparent Monod constant (K(S)) for each data set was calculated by means of a curve-fitting procedure. The experimental results revealed that variations in the V(up) did not affect the apparent K(S)-value, indicating that external mass-transport resistance normally can be neglected. With regard to the granule size, a clear increase in K(S) was found at increasing granule diameters. The experimental data were further used to validate a dynamic mathematical biofilm model. The biofilm model was able to describe reaction-diffusion kinetics in anaerobic granules, using a single value for the effective diffusion coefficient in the granules. This suggests that biogas formation did not influence the diffusion-rates in the granular biomass. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comparison of secondary flows predicted by a viscous code and an inviscid code with experimental data for a turning duct

Science.gov (United States)

Schwab, J. R.; Povinelli, L. A.

1984-01-01

A comparison of the secondary flows computed by the viscous Kreskovsky-Briley-McDonald code and the inviscid Denton code with benchmark experimental data for turning duct is presented. The viscous code is a fully parabolized space-marching Navier-Stokes solver while the inviscid code is a time-marching Euler solver. The experimental data were collected by Taylor, Whitelaw, and Yianneskis with a laser Doppler velocimeter system in a 90 deg turning duct of square cross-section. The agreement between the viscous and inviscid computations was generally very good for the streamwise primary velocity and the radial secondary velocity, except at the walls, where slip conditions were specified for the inviscid code. The agreement between both the computations and the experimental data was not as close, especially at the 60.0 deg and 77.5 deg angular positions within the duct. This disagreement was attributed to incomplete modelling of the vortex development near the suction surface.

Development of realistic thermal-hydraulic system analysis codes ; development of thermal hydraulic test requirements for multidimensional flow modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suh, Kune Yull; Yoon, Sang Hyuk; Noh, Sang Woo; Lee, Il Suk [Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea)

2002-03-01

This study is concerned with developing a multidimensional flow model required for the system analysis code MARS to more mechanistically simulate a variety of thermal hydraulic phenomena in the nuclear stem supply system. The capability of the MARS code as a thermal hydraulic analysis tool for optimized system design can be expanded by improving the current calculational methods and adding new models. In this study the relevant literature was surveyed on the multidimensional flow models that may potentially be applied to the multidimensional analysis code. Research items were critically reviewed and suggested to better predict the multidimensional thermal hydraulic behavior and to identify test requirements. A small-scale preliminary test was performed in the downcomer formed by two vertical plates to analyze multidimensional flow pattern in a simple geometry. The experimental result may be applied to the code for analysis of the fluid impingement to the reactor downcomer wall. Also, data were collected to find out the controlling parameters for the one-dimensional and multidimensional flow behavior. 22 refs., 40 figs., 7 tabs. (Author)

Software compensation in particle flow reconstruction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tran, Huong Lan; Krueger, Katja; Sefkow, Felix [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Green, Steven; Marshall, John; Thomson, Mark [Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Simon, Frank [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik, Muenchen (Germany)

2017-10-15

The particle flow approach to calorimetry benefits from highly granular calorimeters and sophisticated software algorithms in order to reconstruct and identify individual particles in complex event topologies. The high spatial granularity, together with analogue energy information, can be further exploited in software compensation. In this approach, the local energy density is used to discriminate electromagnetic and purely hadronic sub-showers within hadron showers in the detector to improve the energy resolution for single particles by correcting for the intrinsic non-compensation of the calorimeter system. This improvement in the single particle energy resolution also results in a better overall jet energy resolution by improving the energy measurement of identified neutral hadrons and improvements in the pattern recognition stage by a more accurate matching of calorimeter energies to tracker measurements. This paper describes the software compensation technique and its implementation in particle flow reconstruction with the Pandora Particle Flow Algorithm (PandoraPFA). The impact of software compensation on the choice of optimal transverse granularity for the analogue hadronic calorimeter option of the International Large Detector (ILD) concept is also discussed.

Software compensation in particle flow reconstruction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tran, Huong Lan; Krueger, Katja; Sefkow, Felix [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg (Germany); Green, Steven; Marshall, John; Thomson, Mark [Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Simon, Frank [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik, Muenchen (Germany)

2017-10-15

The particle flow approach to calorimetry benefits from highly granular calorimeters and sophisticated software algorithms in order to reconstruct and identify individual particles in complex event topologies. The high spatial granularity, together with analogue energy information, can be further exploited in software compensation. In this approach, the local energy density is used to discriminate electromagnetic and purely hadronic sub-showers within hadron showers in the detector to improve the energy resolution for single particles by correcting for the intrinsic non-compensation of the calorimeter system. This improvement in the single particle energy resolution also results in a better overall jet energy resolution by improving the energy measurement of identified neutral hadrons and improvements in the pattern recognition stage by a more accurate matching of calorimeter energies to tracker measurements. This paper describes the software compensation technique and its implementation in particle flow reconstruction with the Pandora Particle Flow Algorithm (PandoraPFA). The impact of software compensation on the choice of optimal transverse granularity for the analogue hadronic calorimeter option of the International Large Detector (ILD) concept is also discussed. (orig.)

Software compensation in particle flow reconstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tran, Huong Lan; Krueger, Katja; Sefkow, Felix; Green, Steven; Marshall, John; Thomson, Mark; Simon, Frank

2017-10-01

The particle flow approach to calorimetry benefits from highly granular calorimeters and sophisticated software algorithms in order to reconstruct and identify individual particles in complex event topologies. The high spatial granularity, together with analogue energy information, can be further exploited in software compensation. In this approach, the local energy density is used to discriminate electromagnetic and purely hadronic sub-showers within hadron showers in the detector to improve the energy resolution for single particles by correcting for the intrinsic non-compensation of the calorimeter system. This improvement in the single particle energy resolution also results in a better overall jet energy resolution by improving the energy measurement of identified neutral hadrons and improvements in the pattern recognition stage by a more accurate matching of calorimeter energies to tracker measurements. This paper describes the software compensation technique and its implementation in particle flow reconstruction with the Pandora Particle Flow Algorithm (PandoraPFA). The impact of software compensation on the choice of optimal transverse granularity for the analogue hadronic calorimeter option of the International Large Detector (ILD) concept is also discussed.

Segregation of a binary granular mixture in a vibrating sawtooth base container.

Science.gov (United States)

Mobarakabadi, Shahin; Adrang, Neda; Habibi, Mehdi; Oskoee, Ehsan Nedaaee

2017-09-01

A granular mixture of identical particles of different densities can be segregated when the system is shaken. We present an efficient method of continuously segregating a flow of randomly mixed identical spherical particles of different densities by shaking them in a quasi-two-dimensional container with a sawtooth-shaped base. Using numerical simulation we study the effect of direction of shaking (horizontal/vertical), geometry of the sawtooth, and the friction coefficient between the grains and the container walls on the segregation quality. Finally by performing experiments on the same system we compare our simulation results with the experimental results. The good agreement between our simulation and experiment indicates the validity of our simulation approach and will provide a practical way for granular segregation in industrial applications.

Open-Source Development of the Petascale Reactive Flow and Transport Code PFLOTRAN

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, G. E.; Andre, B.; Bisht, G.; Johnson, T.; Karra, S.; Lichtner, P. C.; Mills, R. T.

2013-12-01

Open-source software development has become increasingly popular in recent years. Open-source encourages collaborative and transparent software development and promotes unlimited free redistribution of source code to the public. Open-source development is good for science as it reveals implementation details that are critical to scientific reproducibility, but generally excluded from journal publications. In addition, research funds that would have been spent on licensing fees can be redirected to code development that benefits more scientists. In 2006, the developers of PFLOTRAN open-sourced their code under the U.S. Department of Energy SciDAC-II program. Since that time, the code has gained popularity among code developers and users from around the world seeking to employ PFLOTRAN to simulate thermal, hydraulic, mechanical and biogeochemical processes in the Earth's surface/subsurface environment. PFLOTRAN is a massively-parallel subsurface reactive multiphase flow and transport simulator designed from the ground up to run efficiently on computing platforms ranging from the laptop to leadership-class supercomputers, all from a single code base. The code employs domain decomposition for parallelism and is founded upon the well-established and open-source parallel PETSc and HDF5 frameworks. PFLOTRAN leverages modern Fortran (i.e. Fortran 2003-2008) in its extensible object-oriented design. The use of this progressive, yet domain-friendly programming language has greatly facilitated collaboration in the code's software development. Over the past year, PFLOTRAN's top-level data structures were refactored as Fortran classes (i.e. extendible derived types) to improve the flexibility of the code, ease the addition of new process models, and enable coupling to external simulators. For instance, PFLOTRAN has been coupled to the parallel electrical resistivity tomography code E4D to enable hydrogeophysical inversion while the same code base can be used as a third

A 3D coupled hydro-mechanical granular model for the prediction of hot tearing formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sistaninia, M; Drezet, J-M; Rappaz, M; Phillion, A B

2012-01-01

A new 3D coupled hydro-mechanical granular model that simulates hot tearing formation in metallic alloys is presented. The hydro-mechanical model consists of four separate 3D modules. (I) The Solidification Module (SM) is used for generating the initial solid-liquid geometry. Based on a Voronoi tessellation of randomly distributed nucleation centers, this module computes solidification within each polyhedron using a finite element based solute diffusion calculation for each element within the tessellation. (II) The Fluid Flow Module (FFM) calculates the solidification shrinkage and deformation-induced pressure drop within the intergranular liquid. (III) The Semi-solid Deformation Module (SDM) is used to simulate deformation of the granular structure via a combined finite element / discrete element method. In this module, deformation of the solid grains is modeled using an elasto-viscoplastic constitutive law. (IV) The Failure Module (FM) is used to simulate crack initiation and propagation with the fracture criterion estimated from the overpressure required to overcome the capillary forces at the liquid-gas interface. The FFM, SDM, and FM are coupled processes since solid deformation, intergranular flow, and crack initiation are deeply linked together. The granular model predictions have been validated against bulk data measured experimentally and calculated with averaging techniques.

The dependence of granular plasticity on particle shape

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Kieran; Jaeger, Heinrich

Granular materials plastically deform through reworking an intricate network of particle-particle contacts. Some particle rearrangements have only a fleeting effect before being forgotten while others set in motion global restructuring. How particle shape affects local interactions and how those, in turn, influence the nature of the aggregate's plasticity is far from clear, especially in three dimensions. Here we investigate the remarkably wide range of behaviors in the yielding regime, from quiescent flow to violent jerks, depending on particle shape. We study this complex dependence via uniaxial compression experiments on aggregates of 3D-printed particles, and complement stress-strain data with simultaneous x-ray videos and volumetric strain measurements. We find power law distributions of the slip magnitudes, and discuss their universality. Our data show that the multitude of small slips serves to gradually dilate the packing whereas the fewer large ones accompany significant compaction events. Our findings provide new insights into general features of granular materials during plastic deformation and highlight how small changes in particle shape can give rise to drastic differences in yielding behavior.

FPFPspace2: A code for following airborne fission products in generic nuclear plant flow paths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owcarski, P.C.; Burk, K.W.; Ramsdell, J.V.; Yasuda, D.D.

1991-03-01

In order to assure that a nuclear power plant control room remains habitable during certain types of postulated accidents, Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) has undertaken a special study for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This purpose of this study is to develop software that can aid in the analyses of control room habitability during accidents in which airborne fission products could challenge internal air pathways to the control room. PNL has completed an initial version (FPFP) and final version (FPFP 2) of a software package that can estimate the unsteady-state invasion of quantities of fission products into the control room or any other destination within the nuclear plant via generic internal flow paths. This report consists of three parts: Section 2.0, Technical Bases, describes the flow path components and mechanisms of natural fission product deposition; Section 3.0, FPFP 2 Code Description, describes code organization and the functions of the subroutines; and Section 4.0, Code Operation, discusses details of input requirements, code output, and a sample case demonstration. The appendices consist of an FPFP 2 Fortran code listing, a listing of a code for building input files, forms for building input files, and the sample case input and output files. 7 refs., 3 figs

A model describing intra-granular fission gas behaviour in oxide fuel for advanced engineering tools

Science.gov (United States)

Pizzocri, D.; Pastore, G.; Barani, T.; Magni, A.; Luzzi, L.; Van Uffelen, P.; Pitts, S. A.; Alfonsi, A.; Hales, J. D.

2018-04-01

The description of intra-granular fission gas behaviour is a fundamental part of any model for the prediction of fission gas release and swelling in nuclear fuel. In this work we present a model describing the evolution of intra-granular fission gas bubbles in terms of bubble number density and average size, coupled to gas release to grain boundaries. The model considers the fundamental processes of single gas atom diffusion, gas bubble nucleation, re-solution and gas atom trapping at bubbles. The model is derived from a detailed cluster dynamics formulation, yet it consists of only three differential equations in its final form; hence, it can be efficiently applied in engineering fuel performance codes while retaining a physical basis. We discuss improvements relative to previous single-size models for intra-granular bubble evolution. We validate the model against experimental data, both in terms of bubble number density and average bubble radius. Lastly, we perform an uncertainty and sensitivity analysis by propagating the uncertainties in the parameters to model results.

Mechanics of a granular skin

Science.gov (United States)

Karmakar, Somnath; Sane, Anit; Bhattacharya, S.; Ghosh, Shankar

2017-04-01

Magic sand, a hydrophobic toy granular material, is widely used in popular science instructions because of its nonintuitive mechanical properties. A detailed study of the failure of an underwater column of magic sand shows that these properties can be traced to a single phenomenon: the system self-generates a cohesive skin that encapsulates the material inside. The skin, consisting of pinned air-water-grain interfaces, shows multiscale mechanical properties: they range from contact-line dynamics in the intragrain roughness scale, to plastic flow at the grain scale, all the way to sample-scale mechanical responses. With decreasing rigidity of the skin, the failure mode transforms from brittle to ductile (both of which are collective in nature) to a complete disintegration at the single-grain scale.

Assessment of horizontal in-tube condensation models using MARS code. Part I: Stratified flow condensation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeon, Seong-Su [Department of Engineering Project, FNC Technology Co., Ltd., Bldg. 135-308, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-744 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Nuclear Engineering, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-744 (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Soon-Joon, E-mail: sjhong90@fnctech.com [Department of Engineering Project, FNC Technology Co., Ltd., Bldg. 135-308, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-744 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Ju-Yeop; Seul, Kwang-Won [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, 19 Kuseong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Goon-Cherl [Department of Nuclear Engineering, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-744 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-01-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This study collected 11 horizontal in-tube condensation models for stratified flow. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This study assessed the predictive capability of the models for steam condensation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Purdue-PCCS experiments were simulated using MARS code incorporated with models. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cavallini et al. (2006) model predicts well the data for stratified flow condition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Results of this study can be used to improve condensation model in RELAP5 or MARS. - Abstract: The accurate prediction of the horizontal in-tube condensation heat transfer is a primary concern in the optimum design and safety analysis of horizontal heat exchangers of passive safety systems such as the passive containment cooling system (PCCS), the emergency condenser system (ECS) and the passive auxiliary feed-water system (PAFS). It is essential to analyze and assess the predictive capability of the previous horizontal in-tube condensation models for each flow regime using various experimental data. This study assessed totally 11 condensation models for the stratified flow, one of the main flow regime encountered in the horizontal condenser, with the heat transfer data from the Purdue-PCCS experiment using the multi-dimensional analysis of reactor safety (MARS) code. From the assessments, it was found that the models by Akers and Rosson, Chato, Tandon et al., Sweeney and Chato, and Cavallini et al. (2002) under-predicted the data in the main condensation heat transfer region, on the contrary to this, the models by Rosson and Meyers, Jaster and Kosky, Fujii, Dobson and Chato, and Thome et al. similarly- or over-predicted the data, and especially, Cavallini et al. (2006) model shows good predictive capability for all test conditions. The results of this study can be used importantly to improve the condensation models in thermal hydraulic code, such as RELAP5 or MARS code.

Scaling Optimization of the SIESTA MHD Code

Science.gov (United States)

Seal, Sudip; Hirshman, Steven; Perumalla, Kalyan

2013-10-01

SIESTA is a parallel three-dimensional plasma equilibrium code capable of resolving magnetic islands at high spatial resolutions for toroidal plasmas. Originally designed to exploit small-scale parallelism, SIESTA has now been scaled to execute efficiently over several thousands of processors P. This scaling improvement was accomplished with minimal intrusion to the execution flow of the original version. First, the efficiency of the iterative solutions was improved by integrating the parallel tridiagonal block solver code BCYCLIC. Krylov-space generation in GMRES was then accelerated using a customized parallel matrix-vector multiplication algorithm. Novel parallel Hessian generation algorithms were integrated and memory access latencies were dramatically reduced through loop nest optimizations and data layout rearrangement. These optimizations sped up equilibria calculations by factors of 30-50. It is possible to compute solutions with granularity N/P near unity on extremely fine radial meshes (N > 1024 points). Grid separation in SIESTA, which manifests itself primarily in the resonant components of the pressure far from rational surfaces, is strongly suppressed by finer meshes. Large problem sizes of up to 300 K simultaneous non-linear coupled equations have been solved on the NERSC supercomputers. Work supported by U.S. DOE under Contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with UT-Battelle, LLC.

Angra 2 small break LOCA flow regime identification through RELAP5 code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rocha, Marcelo da Silva; Sabundjian, Gaiane; Belchior Junior, Antonio; Andrade, Delvonei Alves de; Torres, Walmir Maximo; Conti, Thadeu das Neves; Macedo, Luiz Alberto; Umbehaun, Pedro Ernesto; Mesquita, Roberto Navarro de; Masotti, Paulo Henrique Ferraz, E-mail: msrocha@ipen.br, E-mail: gdjian@ipen.br, E-mail: abelchior@ipen.br, E-mail: delvonei@ipen.br, E-mail: wmtorres@ipen.br, E-mail: tnconti@ipen.br, E-mail: lamacedo@ipen.br, E-mail: umbehaun@ipen.br, E-mail: s, E-mail: rnavarro@ipen.br, E-mail: pmasotti@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2012-07-01

The purpose of this paper is to identify the flow regimes in the core of Angra 2 nuclear reactor with RELAP5/MOD3.2.gamma code (RELAP5, 2001). The postulated accident is the loss of coolant through a small break in the primary circuit (SBLOCA), which is described in Chapter 15 of the Final Safety Analysis Report of Angra 2 - FSAR (ETN, 2006). As the primary circuit pressure decreases due to the loss of coolant, several alternating two phase flow regimes are established in the primary circuit. This paper analyses the coolant two-phase flow behavior in the nuclear reactor core during the postulated accident. (author)

Developmental assessment of RELAP5/MOD3 code against ROSA-IV/TPTF horizontal two-phase flow experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kukita, Yutaka; Asaka, Hideaki; Anoda, Yoshinari; Ishiguro, Misako; Tasaka, Kanji; Mimura, Yuichi; Nemoto, Toshiyuki.

1990-03-01

A developmental version of the RELAP5/Mod3 code (as of June 1989) was assessed for accuracy using experimental data taken for high-pressure (7MPa) steam-water two-phase flow in a large-diameter (0.18 m) horizontal-pipe test section of the ROSA-IV Two-Phase Flow Test Facility (TPTF). The agreement between the measured and calculated test section void fractions was much better than that for the previous generation of RELAP5 (MOD2). The improvement was achieved primarily due to the code changes with respect to the flow stratification criterion and interfacial-drag calculation scheme. (author)

Validation of the TRACR3D code for soil water flow under saturated/unsaturated conditions in three experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perkins, B.; Travis, B.; DePoorter, G.

1985-01-01

Validation of the TRACR3D code in a one-dimensional form was obtained for flow of soil water in three experiments. In the first experiment, a pulse of water entered a crushed-tuff soil and initially moved under conditions of saturated flow, quickly followed by unsaturated flow. In the second experiment, steady-state unsaturated flow took place. In the final experiment, two slugs of water entered crushed tuff under field conditions. In all three experiments, experimentally measured data for volumetric water content agreed, within experimental errors, with the volumetric water content predicted by the code simulations. The experiments and simulations indicated the need for accurate knowledge of boundary and initial conditions, amount and duration of moisture input, and relevant material properties as input into the computer code. During the validation experiments, limitations on monitoring of water movement in waste burial sites were also noted. 5 references, 34 figures, 9 tables

Controlling wave propagation through nonlinear engineered granular systems

Science.gov (United States)

Leonard, Andrea

We study the fundamental dynamic behavior of a special class of ordered granular systems in order to design new, structured materials with unique physical properties. The dynamic properties of granular systems are dictated by the nonlinear, Hertzian, potential in compression and zero tensile strength resulting from the discrete material structure. Engineering the underlying particle arrangement of granular systems allows for unique dynamic properties, not observed in natural, disordered granular media. While extensive studies on 1D granular crystals have suggested their usefulness for a variety of engineering applications, considerably less attention has been given to higher-dimensional systems. The extension of these studies in higher dimensions could enable the discovery of richer physical phenomena not possible in 1D, such as spatial redirection and anisotropic energy trapping. We present experiments, numerical simulation (based on a discrete particle model), and in some cases theoretical predictions for several engineered granular systems, studying the effects of particle arrangement on the highly nonlinear transient wave propagation to develop means for controlling the wave propagation pathways. The first component of this thesis studies the stress wave propagation resulting from a localized impulsive loading for three different 2D particle lattice structures: square, centered square, and hexagonal granular crystals. By varying the lattice structure, we observe a wide range of properties for the propagating stress waves: quasi-1D solitary wave propagation, fully 2D wave propagation with tunable wave front shapes, and 2D pulsed wave propagation. Additionally the effects of weak disorder, inevitably present in real granular systems, are investigated. The second half of this thesis studies the solitary wave propagation through 2D and 3D ordered networks of granular chains, reducing the effective density compared to granular crystals by selectively placing wave

Development of orthogonal 2-dimensional numerical code TFC2D for fluid flow with various turbulence models and numerical schemes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Ju Yeop; In, Wang Kee; Chun, Tae Hyun; Oh, Dong Seok [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejeon (Korea)

2000-02-01

The development of orthogonal 2-dimensional numerical code is made. The present code contains 9 kinds of turbulence models that are widely used. They include a standard k-{epsilon} model and 8 kinds of low Reynolds number ones. They also include 6 kinds of numerical schemes including 5 kinds of low order schemes and 1 kind of high order scheme such as QUICK. To verify the present numerical code, pipe flow, channel flow and expansion pipe flow are solved by this code with various options of turbulence models and numerical schemes and the calculated outputs are compared to experimental data. Furthermore, the discretization error that originates from the use of standard k-{epsilon} turbulence model with wall function is much more diminished by introducing a new grid system than a conventional one in the present code. 23 refs., 58 figs., 6 tabs. (Author)

Fine-granularity electromagnetic calorimeter using plastic scintillator strip-array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagano, A.; Yamauchi, S.; Matsunaga, H.; Kim, S.; Matsumoto, T.; Sekiguchi, K.; Uchida, N.; Yamada, Y.; Yamamoto, S.; Evtoukhovitch, P.; Fujii, Y.; Garutti, E.; Iba, S.; Itoh, S.; Kajino, F.; Kalinnikov, V.; Kallies, W.; Kanzaki, J.; Kawagoe, K.; Kishimoto, S.; Miyata, H.; Mzavia, D.; Nakajima, N.; Nakamura, R.; Ono, H.; Samoilov, V.; Sanchez, A.L.C.; Takeshita, T.; Tamura, Y.; Tsamalaidze, Z.

2006-01-01

For the future linear collider calorimetry, fine-granularity is indispensable for energy measurements based on particle flow algorithm, which could achieve better energy resolution for jets than the conventional method. To explore the possibility for such a calorimeter using scintillator, an electromagnetic calorimeter test module, made of scintillator-strips and lead plates, was constructed and tested with test beams. Performance of the test module is presented in this article, in terms of the shower profile studies as well as energy and spatial measurements

Thermal conductivity of granular materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buyevich, Yu A

1974-01-01

Stationary heat transfer in a granular material consisting of a continuous medium containing spherical granules of other substances is considered under the assumption that the spatial distribution of granules is random. The effective thermal conductivity characterizing macroscopic heat transfer in such a material is expressed as a certain function of the conductivities and volume fractions of the medium and dispersed substances. For reasons of mathematical analogy, all the results obtained for the thermal conductivity are valid while computing the effective diffusivity of some admixture in granular materials as well as for evaluation of the effective electric conductivity or the mean dielectric and magnetic permeabilities of granular conductors and dielectrics. (23 refs.)

Study of counter current flow limitation model of MARS-KS and SPACE codes under Dukler's air/water flooding test conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Won Woong; Kim, Min Gil; Lee, Jeong Ik; Bang, Young Seok

2015-01-01

In particular, CCFL(the counter current flow limitation) occurs in components such as hot leg, downcomer annulus and steam generator inlet plenum during LOCA which is possible to have flows in two opposite directions. Therefore, CCFL is one of the thermal-hydraulic models which has significant effect on the reactor safety analysis code performance. In this study, the CCFL model will be evaluated with MARS-KS based on two-phase two-field governing equations and SPACE code based on two-phase three-field governing equations. This study will be conducted by comparing MARS-KS code which is being used for evaluating the safety of a Korean Nuclear Power Plant and SPACE code which is currently under assessment for evaluating the safety of the designed nuclear power plant. In this study, comparison of the results of liquid upflow and liquid downflow rate for different gas flow rate from two code to the famous Dukler's CCFL experimental data are presented. This study will be helpful to understand the difference between system analysis codes with different governing equations, models and correlations, and further improving the accuracy of system analysis codes. In the nuclear reactor system, CCFL is an important phenomenon for evaluating the safety of nuclear reactors. This is because CCFL phenomenon can limit injection of ECCS water when CCFL occurs in components such as hot leg, downcomer annulus or steam generator inlet plenum during LOCA which is possible to flow in two opposite directions. Therefore, CCFL is one of the thermal-hydraulic models which has significant effect on the reactor safety analysis code performance. In this study, the CCFL model was evaluated with MARS-KS and SPACE codes for studying the difference between system analysis codes with different governing equations, models and correlations. This study was conducted by comparing MARS-KS and SPACE code results of liquid upflow and liquid downflow rate for different gas flow rate to the famous Dukler

Cavitation and multiphase flow forum - 1985

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoyt, J.W.; Furuya, O.

1985-01-01

This book presents the papers given at a conference on fluid flow. Topics considered at the conference included cavitation inception, bubble growth, cavitation noise, holography, axial flow pumps, vortices, cavitation erosion, two-phase flow in nozzles, coal slurry valves, hopper flows of granular materials, helium bubble transport in a closed vertical duct, and a numerical model for flow in a venturi scrubber

Application of mathematical model for simulation of groundwater flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho Filho, Carlos Alberto de; Branco, Otavio Eurico de Aquino; Loureiro, Celso de Oliveira

2000-01-01

The main purpose of the present research work is the groundwater flow characterization of the aquifer system of the Engenho Nogueira Creek watershed basin, particularly within the limits of the Pampulha Campus of the Federal University of Minas Gerais and nearby. In order to reach the aforementioned goal, a numerical model was implemented for simulation the groundwater flow, using the MODFLOW code. The local hydrogeology consists of a porous granular aquifer placed above and hydraulically connected to a fractured aquifer, constituting a unique aquifer system, mixed and phreatic type, heterogeneous and anisotropic. The local hydrogeological system is strongly influenced by a complex drain system and by the Engenho Nogueira Creek. After calibration, it was possible to predict the average phreatic depth measured in the observation wells for the period in study with a standard deviation of 1.65 m and a correlation coefficient of 0.94. (author)

Numerical Simulations of Granular Physics in the Solar System

Science.gov (United States)

Ballouz, Ronald

2017-08-01

Granular physics is a sub-discipline of physics that attempts to combine principles that have been developed for both solid-state physics and engineering (such as soil mechanics) with fluid dynamics in order to formulate a coherent theory for the description of granular materials, which are found in both terrestrial (e.g., earthquakes, landslides, and pharmaceuticals) and extra-terrestrial settings (e.g., asteroids surfaces, asteroid interiors, and planetary ring systems). In the case of our solar system, the growth of this sub-discipline has been key in helping to interpret the formation, structure, and evolution of both asteroids and planetary rings. It is difficult to develop a deterministic theory for granular materials due to the fact that granular systems are composed of a large number of elements that interact through a non-linear combination of various forces (mechanical, gravitational, and electrostatic, for example) leading to a high degree of stochasticity. Hence, we study these environments using an N-body code, pkdgrav, that is able to simulate the gravitational, collisional, and cohesive interactions of grains. Using pkdgrav, I have studied the size segregation on asteroid surfaces due to seismic shaking (the Brazil-nut effect), the interaction of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample-return mission sampling head, TAGSAM, with the surface of the asteroid Bennu, the collisional disruptions of rubble-pile asteroids, and the formation of structure in Saturn's rings. In all of these scenarios, I have found that the evolution of a granular system depends sensitively on the intrinsic properties of the individual grains (size, shape, sand surface roughness). For example, through our simulations, we have been able to determine relationships between regolith properties and the amount of surface penetration a spacecraft achieves upon landing. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that this relationship also depends on the strength of the local gravity. By comparing our

Assessment of the IVA3 code for multifield flow simulation. Formal report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stewart, H.B.

1995-07-01

This report presents an assessment of the IVA3 computer code for multifield flow simulation, as applied to the premixing phase of a hypothetical steam explosion in a water-cooled power reactor. The first section of this report reviews the derivation of the basic partial differential equations of multifield modeling, with reference to standard practices in the multiphase flow literature. Basic underlying assumptions and approximations are highlighted, and comparison is made between IVA3 and other codes in current use. Although Kolev`s derivation of these equations is outside the mainstream of the multiphase literature, the basic partial differential equations are in fact nearly equivalent to those in other codes. In the second section, the assumptions and approximations required to pass from generic differential equations to a specific working form are detailed. Some modest improvements to the IVA3 model are suggested. In Section 3, the finite difference approximations to the differential equations are described. The discretization strategy is discussed with reference to numerical stability, accuracy, and the role of various physical phenomena - material convection, sonic propagation, viscous stress, and interfacial exchanges - in the choice of discrete approximations. There is also cause for concern about the approximations of time evolution in some heat transfer terms, which might be adversely affecting numerical accuracy. The fourth section documents the numerical solution method used in IVA3. An explanation for erratic behavior sometimes observed in the first outer iteration is suggested, along with possible remedies. Finally, six recommendations for future assessment and improvement of the IVA3 model and code are made.

Numerical simulations of granular dynamics: I. Hard-sphere discrete element method and tests

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Derek C.; Walsh, Kevin J.; Murdoch, Naomi; Michel, Patrick

2011-03-01

We present a new particle-based (discrete element) numerical method for the simulation of granular dynamics, with application to motions of particles on small solar system body and planetary surfaces. The method employs the parallel N-body tree code pkdgrav to search for collisions and compute particle trajectories. Collisions are treated as instantaneous point-contact events between rigid spheres. Particle confinement is achieved by combining arbitrary combinations of four provided wall primitives, namely infinite plane, finite disk, infinite cylinder, and finite cylinder, and degenerate cases of these. Various wall movements, including translation, oscillation, and rotation, are supported. We provide full derivations of collision prediction and resolution equations for all geometries and motions. Several tests of the method are described, including a model granular “atmosphere” that achieves correct energy equipartition, and a series of tumbler simulations that show the expected transition from tumbling to centrifuging as a function of rotation rate.

Flow modelling and radionuclide transport research and development in saturated and unsaturated soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho Filho, Carlos Alberto de; Branco, Otavio Eurico de Aquino; Loureiro, Celso de Oliveira

1996-01-01

The Engenho Nogueira Hydrogeological Project, PROHBEN, was idealized with the goal of implementing an Experimental Hydrogeological basin within its limits, in order to permit the development of hydrogeological studies and techniques, mainly in the modeling of flow and transport of contaminants (radionuclides) in the saturated and unsaturated porous media. The PROHBEN is located in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, amounting a 5 km 2 area. The local porous-granular, heterogeneous and anisotropic, water-table aquifer reaches 40 meters of thickness, and is compound mainly by alluvial deposits and alteration rocks products, with a sandy texture. The flow and transport modeling are being done using the Modflow and MT3D codes. Three master degree researches are being done in the PROHBEN area and one expects is that more researchers come to use this experimental site. (author)

Comparative calculations on selected two-phase flow phenomena using major PWR system codes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

In 1988 a comparative study on important features and models in six major best estimate thermal hydraulic codes for PWR systems was implemented (Comparison of thermal hydraulic safety codes for PWR Graham, Trotman, London, EUR 11522). It was a limitation of that study that the source codes themselves were not available but the comparison had to be based on the available documentation. In the present study, the source codes were available and the capability of four system codes to predict complex two-phase flow phenomena has been assessed. Two areas of investigation were selected: (a) pressurized spray phenomena; (b) boil-up phenomena in rod bundles. As regards the first area, experimental data obtained in 1972 on the Neptunus Facility (Delft University of Technology) were compared with the results of the calculations using Athlet, Cathare, Relap 5 and TRAC-PT1 and, concerning the second area, the results of two experimental facilities obtained in 1980 and 1985 on Thetis (UKEA) and Pericles (CEA-Grenoble) were considered

Application of flow network models of SINDA/FLUINT{sup TM} to a nuclear power plant system thermal hydraulic code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Ji Bum [Institute for Advanced Engineering, Yongin (Korea, Republic of); Park, Jong Woon [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1998-12-31

In order to enhance the dynamic and interactive simulation capability of a system thermal hydraulic code for nuclear power plant, applicability of flow network models in SINDA/FLUINT{sup TM} has been tested by modeling feedwater system and coupling to DSNP which is one of a system thermal hydraulic simulation code for a pressurized heavy water reactor. The feedwater system is selected since it is one of the most important balance of plant systems with a potential to greatly affect the behavior of nuclear steam supply system. The flow network model of this feedwater system consists of condenser, condensate pumps, low and high pressure heaters, deaerator, feedwater pumps, and control valves. This complicated flow network is modeled and coupled to DSNP and it is tested for several normal and abnormal transient conditions such turbine load maneuvering, turbine trip, and loss of class IV power. The results show reasonable behavior of the coupled code and also gives a good dynamic and interactive simulation capabilities for the several mild transient conditions. It has been found that coupling system thermal hydraulic code with a flow network code is a proper way of upgrading simulation capability of DSNP to mature nuclear plant analyzer (NPA). 5 refs., 10 figs. (Author)

Swirl flow analysis in a helical wire inserted tube using CFD code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Yusun; Chang, Soon Heung

2010-01-01

An analysis on the two-phase flow in a helical wire inserted tube using commercial CFD code, CFX11.0, was performed in bubbly flow and annular flow regions. The analysis method was validated with the experimental results of Takeshima. Bubbly and annular flows in a 10 mm inner diameter tube with varying pitch lengths and inserted wire diameters were simulated using the same analysis methods after validation. The geometry range of p/D was 1-4 and e/D was 0.08-0.12. The results show that the inserted wire with a larger diameter increased swirl flow generation. An increasing swirl flow was seen as the pitch length increased. Regarding pressure loss, smaller pitch lengths and inserted wires with larger diameters resulted in larger pressure loss. The average liquid film thickness increased as the pitch length and the diameter of the inserted wire increased in the annular flow region. Both in the bubbly flow and annular flow regions, the effect of pitch length on swirl flow generation and pressure loss was more significant than that of the inserted wire diameters. Pitch length is a more dominant factor than inserted wire diameter for the design of the swirl flow generator in small diameter tubes.

Clogging in constricted suspension flows

Science.gov (United States)

Marin, Alvaro; Lhuissier, Henri; Rossi, Massimiliano; Kähler, Christian J.

2018-02-01

The flow of a charged-stabilized suspension through a single constricted channel is studied experimentally by tracking the particles individually. Surprisingly, the behavior is found to be qualitatively similar to that of inertial dry granular systems: For small values of the neck-to-particle size ratio (D /d reported for granular systems and agree for moderate particle volume fraction (ϕ ≈20 % ) with a simple stochastic model for the number of particles at the neck. For larger neck sizes (D /d >3 ), even at the largest ϕ (≈60 %) achievable in the experiments, an uninterrupted particle flow is observed, which resembles that of an hourglass. This particularly small value of D /d (≃3 ) at the transition to a practically uninterrupted flow is attributed to the low effective friction between the particles, achieved by the particle's functionalization and lubrication.

Analytic solution to verify code predictions of two-phase flow in a boiling water reactor core channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, K.F.; Olson, C.A.

1983-01-01

One reliable method that can be used to verify the solution scheme of a computer code is to compare the code prediction to a simplified problem for which an analytic solution can be derived. An analytic solution for the axial pressure drop as a function of the flow was obtained for the simplified problem of homogeneous equilibrium two-phase flow in a vertical, heated channel with a cosine axial heat flux shape. This analytic solution was then used to verify the predictions of the CONDOR computer code, which is used to evaluate the thermal-hydraulic performance of boiling water reactors. The results show excellent agreement between the analytic solution and CONDOR prediction

Particle-size segregation and diffusive remixing in shallow granular avalanches

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, J. M. N. T.; Chugunov, V. A.

2006-12-01

Segregation and mixing of dissimilar grains is a problem in many industrial and pharmaceutical processes, as well as in hazardous geophysical flows, where the size-distribution can have a major impact on the local rheology and the overall run-out. In this paper, a simple binary mixture theory is used to formulate a model for particle-size segregation and diffusive remixing of large and small particles in shallow gravity-driven free-surface flows. This builds on a recent theory for the process of kinetic sieving, which is the dominant mechanism for segregation in granular avalanches provided the density-ratio and the size-ratio of the particles are not too large. The resulting nonlinear parabolic segregation remixing equation reduces to a quasi-linear hyperbolic equation in the no-remixing limit. It assumes that the bulk velocity is incompressible and that the bulk pressure is lithostatic, making it compatible with most theories used to compute the motion of shallow granular free-surface flows. In steady-state, the segregation remixing equation reduces to a logistic type equation and the ‘S’-shaped solutions are in very good agreement with existing particle dynamics simulations for both size and density segregation. Laterally uniform time-dependent solutions are constructed by mapping the segregation remixing equation to Burgers equation and using the Cole Hopf transformation to linearize the problem. It is then shown how solutions for arbitrary initial conditions can be constructed using standard methods. Three examples are investigated in which the initial concentration is (i) homogeneous, (ii) reverse graded with the coarse grains above the fines, and, (iii) normally graded with the fines above the coarse grains. Time-dependent two-dimensional solutions are also constructed for plug-flow in a semi-infinite chute.

Start-up performance and granular sludge features of an improved external circulating anaerobic reactor for algae-laden water treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yaqin; Lu, Xiwu

2017-09-01

The microbial characteristics of granular sludge during the rapid start of an enhanced external circulating anaerobic reactor were studied to improve algae-laden water treatment efficiency. Results showed that algae laden water was effectively removed after about 35 d, and the removal rates of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and algal toxin were around 85% and 92%, respectively. Simultaneously, the gas generation rate was around 380 mL/gCOD. The microbial community structure in the granular sludge of the reactor was complicated, and dominated by coccus and filamentous bacteria. Methanosphaera , Methanolinea , Thermogymnomonas , Methanoregula , Methanomethylovorans , and Methanosaeta were the major microorganisms in the granular sludge. The activities of protease and coenzyme F 420 were high in the granular sludge. The intermittent stirring device and the reverse-flow system were further found to overcome the disadvantage of the floating and crusting of cyanobacteria inside the reactor. Meanwhile, the effect of mass transfer inside the reactor can be accelerated to help give the reactor a rapid start.

Simulating the lava flow formed during the 2014-2015 Holuhraun eruption (Bardarbunga volcanic system, Iceland) by using the new F-L probabilistic code

Science.gov (United States)

Tarquini, Simone; de'Michieli Vitturi, Mattia; Jensen, Esther H.; Barsotti, Sara; Pedersen, Gro B. M.; Coppola, Diego

2015-04-01

The 2014-2015 fissure eruption in Holuhraun started when a new code (named F-L) was being developed. The availability of several digital Elevation Models of the area inundated by the lava and the availability of continuously updated maps of the flow (collected in the field and through remote sensing imagery) provided an excellent opportunity for testing and calibrating the new code against an evolving flow field. Remote sensing data also provided a constrain on the effusion rate. Existing numerical codes for the simulation of lava flow emplacement are based either on the solution of some simplification of the physical governing equations of this phenomenon (the so-called "deterministic codes" - e.g. Hidaka et al. 2005; Crisci et al. 2010), or, instead, on the evidence that lava flows tend to follow the steepest descent path from the vent downhill (the so-called "probabilistic codes" - e.g. Favalli et al. 2005). F-L is a new code for the simulation of lava flows, which rests on an approach similar to the one introduced by Glaze and Baloga (2013), and can be ascribed to the "probabilistic family" of lava flow simulation codes. Nevertheless, in contrast with other probabilistic codes (e.g. Favalli et al. 2005), this code explicitly tackles not only the direction of expansion of the growing flow and the area covered, but also the volume of the emplaced lava over time, and hence the supply rate. As a result, this approach bridges the stochastic point of view of a plain probabilistic code with one of the most critical among the input parameters considered by deterministic codes, which is the effusion rate during the course of an eruption. As such, a similar code, in principle, can tackle several aspects which were previously not addressed within the probabilistic approach, which are: (i) the 3D morphology of the flow field (i.e. thickness), (ii) the implications of the effusion rate in the growth of the flow field, and (iii) the evolution of the lava coverage over time

Implementation of Finite Volume based Navier Stokes Algorithm Within General Purpose Flow Network Code

Science.gov (United States)

Schallhorn, Paul; Majumdar, Alok

2012-01-01

This paper describes a finite volume based numerical algorithm that allows multi-dimensional computation of fluid flow within a system level network flow analysis. There are several thermo-fluid engineering problems where higher fidelity solutions are needed that are not within the capacity of system level codes. The proposed algorithm will allow NASA's Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP) to perform multi-dimensional flow calculation within the framework of GFSSP s typical system level flow network consisting of fluid nodes and branches. The paper presents several classical two-dimensional fluid dynamics problems that have been solved by GFSSP's multi-dimensional flow solver. The numerical solutions are compared with the analytical and benchmark solution of Poiseulle, Couette and flow in a driven cavity.

A 3D spectral anelastic hydrodynamic code for shearing, stratified flows

Science.gov (United States)

Barranco, Joseph A.; Marcus, Philip S.

2006-11-01

We have developed a three-dimensional (3D) spectral hydrodynamic code to study vortex dynamics in rotating, shearing, stratified systems (e.g., the atmosphere of gas giant planets, protoplanetary disks around newly forming protostars). The time-independent background state is stably stratified in the vertical direction and has a unidirectional linear shear flow aligned with one horizontal axis. Superposed on this background state is an unsteady, subsonic flow that is evolved with the Euler equations subject to the anelastic approximation to filter acoustic phenomena. A Fourier Fourier basis in a set of quasi-Lagrangian coordinates that advect with the background shear is used for spectral expansions in the two horizontal directions. For the vertical direction, two different sets of basis functions have been implemented: (1) Chebyshev polynomials on a truncated, finite domain, and (2) rational Chebyshev functions on an infinite domain. Use of this latter set is equivalent to transforming the infinite domain to a finite one with a cotangent mapping, and using cosine and sine expansions in the mapped coordinate. The nonlinear advection terms are time-integrated explicitly, the pressure/enthalpy terms are integrated semi-implicitly, and the Coriolis force and buoyancy terms are treated semi-analytically. We show that internal gravity waves can be damped by adding new terms to the Euler equations. The code exhibits excellent parallel performance with the message passing interface (MPI). As a demonstration of the code, we simulate the merger of two 3D vortices in the midplane of a protoplanetary disk.

Embedded DCT and wavelet methods for fine granular scalable video: analysis and comparison

Science.gov (United States)

van der Schaar-Mitrea, Mihaela; Chen, Yingwei; Radha, Hayder

2000-04-01

Video transmission over bandwidth-varying networks is becoming increasingly important due to emerging applications such as streaming of video over the Internet. The fundamental obstacle in designing such systems resides in the varying characteristics of the Internet (i.e. bandwidth variations and packet-loss patterns). In MPEG-4, a new SNR scalability scheme, called Fine-Granular-Scalability (FGS), is currently under standardization, which is able to adapt in real-time (i.e. at transmission time) to Internet bandwidth variations. The FGS framework consists of a non-scalable motion-predicted base-layer and an intra-coded fine-granular scalable enhancement layer. For example, the base layer can be coded using a DCT-based MPEG-4 compliant, highly efficient video compression scheme. Subsequently, the difference between the original and decoded base-layer is computed, and the resulting FGS-residual signal is intra-frame coded with an embedded scalable coder. In order to achieve high coding efficiency when compressing the FGS enhancement layer, it is crucial to analyze the nature and characteristics of residual signals common to the SNR scalability framework (including FGS). In this paper, we present a thorough analysis of SNR residual signals by evaluating its statistical properties, compaction efficiency and frequency characteristics. The signal analysis revealed that the energy compaction of the DCT and wavelet transforms is limited and the frequency characteristic of SNR residual signals decay rather slowly. Moreover, the blockiness artifacts of the low bit-rate coded base-layer result in artificial high frequencies in the residual signal. Subsequently, a variety of wavelet and embedded DCT coding techniques applicable to the FGS framework are evaluated and their results are interpreted based on the identified signal properties. As expected from the theoretical signal analysis, the rate-distortion performances of the embedded wavelet and DCT-based coders are very

Development of a computational framework on fluid-solid mixture flow simulations for the COMPASS code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Shuai; Morita, Koji; Shirakawa, Noriyuki; Yamamoto, Yuichi

2010-01-01

The COMPASS code is designed based on the moving particle semi-implicit method to simulate various complex mesoscale phenomena relevant to core disruptive accidents of sodium-cooled fast reactors. In this study, a computational framework for fluid-solid mixture flow simulations was developed for the COMPASS code. The passively moving solid model was used to simulate hydrodynamic interactions between fluid and solids. Mechanical interactions between solids were modeled by the distinct element method. A multi-time-step algorithm was introduced to couple these two calculations. The proposed computational framework for fluid-solid mixture flow simulations was verified by the comparison between experimental and numerical studies on the water-dam break with multiple solid rods. (author)

Thermal-Flow Code for Modeling Gas Dynamics and Heat Transfer in Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motor Joints

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qunzhen; Mathias, Edward C.; Heman, Joe R.; Smith, Cory W.

2000-01-01

A new, thermal-flow simulation code, called SFLOW. has been developed to model the gas dynamics, heat transfer, as well as O-ring and flow path erosion inside the space shuttle solid rocket motor joints by combining SINDA/Glo, a commercial thermal analyzer. and SHARPO, a general-purpose CFD code developed at Thiokol Propulsion. SHARP was modified so that friction, heat transfer, mass addition, as well as minor losses in one-dimensional flow can be taken into account. The pressure, temperature and velocity of the combustion gas in the leak paths are calculated in SHARP by solving the time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations while the heat conduction in the solid is modeled by SINDA/G. The two codes are coupled by the heat flux at the solid-gas interface. A few test cases are presented and the results from SFLOW agree very well with the exact solutions or experimental data. These cases include Fanno flow where friction is important, Rayleigh flow where heat transfer between gas and solid is important, flow with mass addition due to the erosion of the solid wall, a transient volume venting process, as well as some transient one-dimensional flows with analytical solutions. In addition, SFLOW is applied to model the RSRM nozzle joint 4 subscale hot-flow tests and the predicted pressures, temperatures (both gas and solid), and O-ring erosions agree well with the experimental data. It was also found that the heat transfer between gas and solid has a major effect on the pressures and temperatures of the fill bottles in the RSRM nozzle joint 4 configuration No. 8 test.

Safety analysis of the IAEA reference research reactor during loss of flow accident using the code MERSAT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hainoun, A.; Ghazi, N.; Abdul-Moaiz, B. Mansour

2010-01-01

Using the thermal hydraulic code MERSAT detailed model including primary and secondary loop was developed for the IAEA's reference research reactor MTR 10 MW. The developed model enables the simulation of expected neutronic and thermal hydraulic phenomena during normal operation, reactivity and loss of flow accidents. Two different loss of flow accident (LOFA) have been simulated using slow and fast decrease time of core mass flow. In both cases the expected flow reversal from downward forced to upward natural circulation has been successfully simulated. The results indicate that in both accidents the limit of onset of subcooled boiling was not arrived and consequently no exceed of design limits in term of thermal hydraulic instability or DNB is observed. Finally, the simulation results show good agreement with previous international benchmark analyses accomplished with other qualified channel and thermal hydraulic system codes.

Nonlinear theory of nonstationary low Mach number channel flows of freely cooling nearly elastic granular gases.

Science.gov (United States)

Meerson, Baruch; Fouxon, Itzhak; Vilenkin, Arkady

2008-02-01

We employ hydrodynamic equations to investigate nonstationary channel flows of freely cooling dilute gases of hard and smooth spheres with nearly elastic particle collisions. This work focuses on the regime where the sound travel time through the channel is much shorter than the characteristic cooling time of the gas. As a result, the gas pressure rapidly becomes almost homogeneous, while the typical Mach number of the flow drops well below unity. Eliminating the acoustic modes and employing Lagrangian coordinates, we reduce the hydrodynamic equations to a single nonlinear and nonlocal equation of a reaction-diffusion type. This equation describes a broad class of channel flows and, in particular, can follow the development of the clustering instability from a weakly perturbed homogeneous cooling state to strongly nonlinear states. If the heat diffusion is neglected, the reduced equation becomes exactly soluble, and the solution develops a finite-time density blowup. The blowup has the same local features at singularity as those exhibited by the recently found family of exact solutions of the full set of ideal hydrodynamic equations [I. Fouxon, Phys. Rev. E 75, 050301(R) (2007); I. Fouxon,Phys. Fluids 19, 093303 (2007)]. The heat diffusion, however, always becomes important near the attempted singularity. It arrests the density blowup and brings about previously unknown inhomogeneous cooling states (ICSs) of the gas, where the pressure continues to decay with time, while the density profile becomes time-independent. The ICSs represent exact solutions of the full set of granular hydrodynamic equations. Both the density profile of an ICS and the characteristic relaxation time toward it are determined by a single dimensionless parameter L that describes the relative role of the inelastic energy loss and heat diffusion. At L>1 the intermediate cooling dynamics proceeds as a competition between "holes": low-density regions of the gas. This competition resembles Ostwald

Size-induced axial band structure and directional flow of a ternary-size granular material in a 3-D horizontal rotating drum

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shiliang; Sun, Yuhao; Ma, Honghe; Chew, Jia Wei

2018-05-01

Differences in the material property of the granular material induce segregation which inevitably influences both natural and industrial processes. To understand the dynamical segregation behavior, the band structure, and also the spatial redistribution of particles induced by the size differences of the particles, a ternary-size granular mixture in a three-dimensional rotating drum operating in the rolling flow regime is numerically simulated using the discrete element method. The results demonstrate that (i) the axial bands of the medium particles are spatially sandwiched in between those of the large and small ones; (ii) the total mass in the active and passive regions is a global parameter independent of segregation; (iii) nearly one-third of all the particles are in the active region, with the small particles having the highest mass fraction; (iv) the axial bands initially appear near the end wall, then become wider and purer in the particular species with time as more axial bands form toward the axial center; and (v) the medium particle type exhibits segregation later and has the narrowest axial bandwidth and least purity in the bands. Compared to the binary-size system, the presence of the medium particle type slightly increases the total mass in the active region, leads to larger mass fractions of the small and large particle types in the active region, and enhances the axial segregation in the system. The results obtained in the current work provide valuable insights regarding size segregation, and band structure and formation in the rotating drum with polydisperse particles.

Hierarchical self-assembly of PDMA-b-PS chains into granular nanoparticles: genesis and fate.

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, Alberto; Mauri, Michele; Bonetti, Simone; Koynov, Kaloian; Kappl, Michael; Lieberwirth, Ingo; Butt, Hans-Jürgen; Simonutti, Roberto

2014-12-01

The hierarchical self-assembly of an amphiphilic block copolymer, poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide)-block-polystyrene with a very short hydrophilic block (PDMA10 -b-PS62 ), in large granular nanoparticles is reported. While these nanoparticles are stable in water, their disaggregation can be induced either mechanically (i.e., by applying a force via the tip of the cantilever of an atomic force microscope (AFM)) or by partial hydrolysis of the acrylamide groups. AFM force spectroscopy images show the rupture of the particle as a combination of collapse and flow, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of partly hydrolyzed nanoparticles provide a clear picture of the granular structure. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

[Research on Cultivation and Stability of Nitritation Granular Sludge in Integrated ABR-CSTR Reactor].

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Kai-cheng; Wu, Peng; Shen, Yao-liang; Li, Yue-han; Wang, Han-fang; Xu, Yue-zhong

2015-11-01

Abstract: The last two compartments of the Anaerobic Baffled Readtor ( ABR) were altered into aeration tank and sedimentation tank respectively to get an integrated anaerobic-aerobic reactor, using anaerobic granular sludge in anaerobic zone and aerobic granular sludge in aerobic zone as seed sludge. The research explored the condition to cultivate nitritation granular sludge, under the condition of continuous flow. The C/N rate was decreased from 1 to 0.4 and the ammonia nitrogen volumetric loading rate was increased from 0.89 kg x ( m3 x d)(-1) to 2.23 kg x (m3 x d)(-1) while the setting time of 1 h was controlled in the aerobic zone. After the system was operated for 45 days, the mature nitritation granular sludge in aerobic zone showed a compact structure and yellow color while the nitrite accumulation rate was about 80% in the effluent. The associated inhibition of free ammonia (FA) and free nitrous acid (FNA) dominated the nitritation. Part of granules lost stability during the initial period of operation and flocs appeared in the aerobic zone. However, the flocs were transformed into newly generated small particles in the following reactor operation, demonstrating that organic carbon was benefit to granulation and the enrichment of slow-growing nitrifying played an important role in the stability of granules.

Terminal velocity of liquids and granular materials dispersed by a high explosive

Science.gov (United States)

Loiseau, J.; Pontalier, Q.; Milne, A. M.; Goroshin, S.; Frost, D. L.

2018-04-01

The explosive dispersal of a layer of solid particles or a layer of liquid surrounding a spherical high-explosive charge generates a turbulent, multiphase flow. Shock compression of the material layer during the initial acceleration may partially consolidate the material, leading to the formation of jet-like structures when the layer fragments and sheds particles upon release. Similarly, release of a shock-compressed liquid shell causes the nucleation of cavitation sites, leading to the radial breakup of the shell and the formation of jets upon expansion. In the current study, a wide variety of granular materials and liquids were explosively dispersed. The maximum terminal jet tip or shell velocity was measured using high-speed videography. Charges were constructed using thin-walled glass bulbs of various diameters and contained a central C-4 charge surrounded by the material to be dispersed. This permitted variation of the ratio of material mass to charge mass (M/C) from 4 to 300. Results indicated that material velocity broadly correlates with predictions of the Gurney model. For liquids, the terminal velocity was accurately predicted by the Gurney model. For granular materials, Gurney over-predicted the terminal velocity by 25-60%, depending on the M/C ratio, with larger M/C values exhibiting larger deficits. These deficits are explained by energy dissipation during the collapse of voids in the granular material bed. Velocity deficits were insensitive to the degree of jetting and granular material properties. Empirical corrections to the Gurney model are presented with improved agreement with the dry powder experimental velocities.

Terminal velocity of liquids and granular materials dispersed by a high explosive

Science.gov (United States)

Loiseau, J.; Pontalier, Q.; Milne, A. M.; Goroshin, S.; Frost, D. L.

2018-05-01

The explosive dispersal of a layer of solid particles or a layer of liquid surrounding a spherical high-explosive charge generates a turbulent, multiphase flow. Shock compression of the material layer during the initial acceleration may partially consolidate the material, leading to the formation of jet-like structures when the layer fragments and sheds particles upon release. Similarly, release of a shock-compressed liquid shell causes the nucleation of cavitation sites, leading to the radial breakup of the shell and the formation of jets upon expansion. In the current study, a wide variety of granular materials and liquids were explosively dispersed. The maximum terminal jet tip or shell velocity was measured using high-speed videography. Charges were constructed using thin-walled glass bulbs of various diameters and contained a central C-4 charge surrounded by the material to be dispersed. This permitted variation of the ratio of material mass to charge mass ( M/ C) from 4 to 300. Results indicated that material velocity broadly correlates with predictions of the Gurney model. For liquids, the terminal velocity was accurately predicted by the Gurney model. For granular materials, Gurney over-predicted the terminal velocity by 25-60%, depending on the M/ C ratio, with larger M/ C values exhibiting larger deficits. These deficits are explained by energy dissipation during the collapse of voids in the granular material bed. Velocity deficits were insensitive to the degree of jetting and granular material properties. Empirical corrections to the Gurney model are presented with improved agreement with the dry powder experimental velocities.

Impact of granular drops

KAUST Repository

Marston, J. O.

2013-07-15

We investigate the spreading and splashing of granular drops during impact with a solid target. The granular drops are formed from roughly spherical balls of sand mixed with water, which is used as a binder to hold the ball together during free-fall. We measure the instantaneous spread diameter for different impact speeds and find that the normalized spread diameter d/D grows as (tV/D)1/2. The speeds of the grains ejected during the “splash” are measured and they rarely exceed twice that of the impact speed.

Impact of granular drops

KAUST Repository

Marston, J. O.; Mansoor, Mohammad M.; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T

2013-01-01

We investigate the spreading and splashing of granular drops during impact with a solid target. The granular drops are formed from roughly spherical balls of sand mixed with water, which is used as a binder to hold the ball together during free-fall. We measure the instantaneous spread diameter for different impact speeds and find that the normalized spread diameter d/D grows as (tV/D)1/2. The speeds of the grains ejected during the “splash” are measured and they rarely exceed twice that of the impact speed.

Validation of a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Code for Supersonic Axisymmetric Base Flow

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, P. Kevin

1993-01-01

The ability to accurately and efficiently calculate the flow structure in the base region of bodies of revolution in supersonic flight is a significant step in CFD code validation for applications ranging from base heating for rockets to drag for protectives. The FDNS code is used to compute such a flow and the results are compared to benchmark quality experimental data. Flowfield calculations are presented for a cylindrical afterbody at M = 2.46 and angle of attack a = O. Grid independent solutions are compared to mean velocity profiles in the separated wake area and downstream of the reattachment point. Additionally, quantities such as turbulent kinetic energy and shear layer growth rates are compared to the data. Finally, the computed base pressures are compared to the measured values. An effort is made to elucidate the role of turbulence models in the flowfield predictions. The level of turbulent eddy viscosity, and its origin, are used to contrast the various turbulence models and compare the results to the experimental data.

Viscosity evolution of anaerobic granular sludge

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pevere, A.; Guibaud, G.; Hullebusch, van E.D.; Lens, P.N.L.; Baudu, M.

2006-01-01

The evolution of the apparent viscosity at steady shear rate of sieved anaerobic granular sludge (20¿315 ¿m diameter) sampled from different full-scale anaerobic reactors was recorded using rotation tests. The ¿limit viscosity¿ of sieved anaerobic granular sludge was determined from the apparent

Release of Extracellular Polymeric Substance and Disintegration of Anaerobic Granular Sludge under Reduced Sulfur Compounds-Rich Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takuro Kobayashi

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The effect of reduced form of sulfur compounds on granular sludge was investigated. Significant release of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS from the granular sludge occurred in the presence of sulfide and methanethiol according to various concentrations. Granular sludge also showed a rapid increase in turbidity and decrease in diameter in accordance with sulfide concentration during the long-term shaking, suggesting that the strength of the granules was reduced with high-concentration sulfide. A continuous experiment of up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors with different concentrations of sulfide (10, 200, 500 mg-S/L influence demonstrated that the reactor fed with higher concentration of sulfide allowed more washout of small particle-suspended solid (SS content and soluble carbohydrate and protein, which were considered as EPS released from biofilm. Finally, the presence of sulfide negatively affected methane production, chemical oxygen demand removal and sludge retention in operational performance.

Empirical Evaluation of Superposition Coded Multicasting for Scalable Video

KAUST Repository

Chun Pong Lau

2013-03-01

In this paper we investigate cross-layer superposition coded multicast (SCM). Previous studies have proven its effectiveness in exploiting better channel capacity and service granularities via both analytical and simulation approaches. However, it has never been practically implemented using a commercial 4G system. This paper demonstrates our prototype in achieving the SCM using a standard 802.16 based testbed for scalable video transmissions. In particular, to implement the superposition coded (SPC) modulation, we take advantage a novel software approach, namely logical SPC (L-SPC), which aims to mimic the physical layer superposition coded modulation. The emulation results show improved throughput comparing with generic multicast method.

Erosion onset of a cohesionless granular medium by an immersed impinging round jet

Science.gov (United States)

Brunier-Coulin, Florian; Cuéllar, Pablo; Philippe, Pierre

2017-03-01

Among different devices developed quite recently to quantify the resistance to erosion of natural soil within the broader context of dyke safety, the most commonly used is probably the jet erosion test in which a scouring crater is induced by impingement of an immersed water jet. A comprehensive experimental investigation on the jet erosion in the specific situation of a cohesionless granular material is presented here. The tests were performed by combining special optical techniques allowing for an accurate measurement of the scouring onset and evolution inside an artificially translucent granular sample. The impinging jet hydrodynamics are also analyzed, empirically validating the use of a self-similar theoretical framework for the laminar round jet. The critical conditions at the onset of erosion appear to be best described by a dimensionless Shields number based on the inertial drag force created by the fluid flow on the eroded particles rather than on the pressure gradients around them. To conclude, a tentative empirical model for the maximal flow velocity initiating erosion at the bottom of the scoured crater is put forward and discussed in the light of some preliminary results.

Development of one-dimensional computational fluid dynamics code 'GFLOW' for groundwater flow and contaminant transport analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahatgaonkar, P. S.; Datta, D.; Malhotra, P. K.; Ghadge, S. G.

2012-01-01

Prediction of groundwater movement and contaminant transport in soil is an important problem in many branches of science and engineering. This includes groundwater hydrology, environmental engineering, soil science, agricultural engineering and also nuclear engineering. Specifically, in nuclear engineering it is applicable in the design of spent fuel storage pools and waste management sites in the nuclear power plants. Ground water modeling involves the simulation of flow and contaminant transport by groundwater flow. In the context of contaminated soil and groundwater system, numerical simulations are typically used to demonstrate compliance with regulatory standard. A one-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics code GFLOW had been developed based on the Finite Difference Method for simulating groundwater flow and contaminant transport through saturated and unsaturated soil. The code is validated with the analytical model and the benchmarking cases available in the literature. (authors)

Modification and application of TOUGH2 as a variable-density, saturated-flow code and comparison to SWIFT II results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christian-Frear, T.L.; Webb, S.W.

1995-01-01

Human intrusion scenarios at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) involve penetration of the repository and an underlying brine reservoir by a future borehole. Brine and gas from the brine reservoir and the repository may flow up the borehole and into the overlying Culebra formation, which is saturated with water containing different amounts of dissolved 'solids resulting in a spatially varying density. Current modeling approaches involve perturbing a steady-state Culebra flow field by inflow of gas and/or brine from a breach borehole that has passed through the repository. Previous studies simulating steady-state flow in the Culebra have been done. One specific study by LaVenue et al. (1990) used the SWIFT 2 code, a single-phase flow and transport code, to develop the steady-state flow field. Because gas may also be present in the fluids from the intrusion borehole, a two-phase code such as TOUGH2 can be used to determine the effect that emitted fluids may have on the steady-state Culebra flow field. Thus a comparison between TOUGH2 and SWIFT2 was prompted. In order to compare the two codes and to evaluate the influence of gas on flow in the Culebra, modifications were made to TOUGH2. Modifications were performed by the authors to allow for element-specific values of permeability, porosity, and elevation. The analysis also used a new equation of state module for a water-brine-air mixture, EOS7 (Pruess, 1991), which was developed to simulate variable water densities by assuming a miscible mixture of water and brine phases and allows for element-specific brine concentration in the INCON file

Advanced Wall Boiling Model with Wide Range Applicability for the Subcooled Boiling Flow and its Application into the CFD Code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, B. J.; Song, C. H.; Splawski, A.; Lo, S.

2010-01-01

Subcooled boiling is one of the crucial phenomena for the design, operation and safety analysis of a nuclear power plant. It occurs due to the thermally nonequilibrium state in the two-phase heat transfer system. Many complicated phenomena such as a bubble generation, a bubble departure, a bubble growth, and a bubble condensation are created by this thermally nonequilibrium condition in the subcooled boiling flow. However, it has been revealed that most of the existing best estimate safety analysis codes have a weakness in the prediction of the subcooled boiling phenomena in which multi-dimensional flow behavior is dominant. In recent years, many investigators are trying to apply CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) codes for an accurate prediction of the subcooled boiling flow. In the CFD codes, evaporation heat flux from heated wall is one of the key parameters to be modeled for an accurate prediction of the subcooled boiling flow. The evaporate heat flux for the CFD codes is expressed typically as follows, q' e = πD 3 d /6 ρ g h fg fN' where, D d , f ,N' are bubble departure size, bubble departure frequency and active nucleation site density, respectively. In the most of the commercial CFD codes, Tolubinsky bubble departure size model, Kurul and Podowski active nucleation site density model and Ceumem-Lindenstjerna bubble departure frequency model are adopted as a basic wall boiling model. However, these models do not consider their dependency on the flow, pressure and fluid type. In this paper, an advanced wall boiling model was proposed in order to improve subcooled boiling model for the CFD codes

A continuum theory for two-phase flows of particulate solids: application to Poiseuille flows

Science.gov (United States)

Monsorno, Davide; Varsakelis, Christos; Papalexandris, Miltiadis V.

2015-11-01

In the first part of this talk, we present a novel two-phase continuum model for incompressible fluid-saturated granular flows. The model accounts for both compaction and shear-induced dilatancy and accommodates correlations for the granular rheology in a thermodynamically consistent way. In the second part of this talk, we exercise this two-phase model in the numerical simulation of a fully-developed Poiseuille flow of a dense suspension. The numerical predictions are shown to compare favorably against experimental measurements and confirm that the model can capture the important characteristics of the flow field, such as segregation and formation of plug zones. Finally, results from parametric studies with respect to the initial concentration, the magnitude of the external forcing and the width of the channel are presented and the role of these physical parameters is quantified. Financial Support has been provided by SEDITRANS, an Initial Training Network of the European Commission's 7th Framework Programme

Preliminary study on aerobic granular biomass formation with aerobic continuous flow reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Yulianto, Andik; Soewondo, Prayatni; Handajani, Marissa; Ariesyady, Herto Dwi

2017-03-01

A paradigm shift in waste processing is done to obtain additional benefits from treated wastewater. By using the appropriate processing, wastewater can be turned into a resource. The use of aerobic granular biomass (AGB) can be used for such purposes, particularly for the processing of nutrients in wastewater. During this time, the use of AGB for processing nutrients more reactors based on a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR). Studies on the use of SBR Reactor for AGB demonstrate satisfactory performance in both formation and use. SBR reactor with AGB also has been applied on a full scale. However, the use use of SBR reactor still posses some problems, such as the need for additional buffer tank and the change of operation mode from conventional activated sludge to SBR. This gives room for further reactor research with the use of a different type, one of which is a continuous reactor. The purpose of this study is to compare AGB formation using continuous reactor and SBR with same operation parameter. Operation parameter are Organic Loading Rate (OLR) set to 2,5 Kg COD/m3.day with acetate as substrate, aeration rate 3 L/min, and microorganism from Hospital WWTP as microbial source. SBR use two column reactor with volumes 2 m3, and continuous reactor uses continuous airlift reactor, with two compartments and working volume of 5 L. Results from preliminary research shows that although the optimum results are not yet obtained, AGB can be formed on the continuous reactor. When compared with AGB generated by SBR, then the characteristics of granular diameter showed similarities, while the sedimentation rate and Sludge Volume Index (SVI) characteristics showed lower yields.

Fast spot-based multiscale simulations of granular drainage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rycroft, Chris H.; Wong, Yee Lok; Bazant, Martin Z.

2009-05-22

We develop a multiscale simulation method for dense granular drainage, based on the recently proposed spot model, where the particle packing flows by local collective displacements in response to diffusing"spots'" of interstitial free volume. By comparing with discrete-element method (DEM) simulations of 55,000 spheres in a rectangular silo, we show that the spot simulation is able to approximately capture many features of drainage, such as packing statistics, particle mixing, and flow profiles. The spot simulation runs two to three orders of magnitude faster than DEM, making it an appropriate method for real-time control or optimization. We demonstrateextensions for modeling particle heaping and avalanching at the free surface, and for simulating the boundary layers of slower flow near walls. We show that the spot simulations are robust and flexible, by demonstrating that they can be used in both event-driven and fixed timestep approaches, and showing that the elastic relaxation step used in the model can be applied much less frequently and still create good results.

Analysis of gas-liquid metal two-phase flows using a reactor safety analysis code SIMMER-III

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Tohru; Tobita, Yoshiharu; Kondo, Satoru; Saito, Yasushi; Mishima, Kaichiro

2003-01-01

SIMMER-III, a safety analysis code for liquid-metal fast reactors (LMFRs), includes a momentum exchange model based on conventional correlations for ordinary gas-liquid flows, such as an air-water system. From the viewpoint of safety evaluation of core disruptive accidents (CDAs) in LMFRs, we need to confirm that the code can predict the two-phase flow behaviors with high liquid-to-gas density ratios formed during a CDA. In the present study, the momentum exchange model of SIMMER-III was assessed and improved using experimental data of two-phase flows containing liquid metal, on which fundamental information, such as bubble shapes, void fractions and velocity fields, has been lacking. It was found that the original SIMMER-III can suitably represent high liquid-to-gas density ratio flows including ellipsoidal bubbles as seen in lower gas fluxes. In addition, the employment of Kataoka-Ishii's correlation has improved the accuracy of SIMMER-III for gas-liquid metal flows with cap-shape bubbles as identified in higher gas fluxes. Moreover, a new procedure, in which an appropriate drag coefficient can be automatically selected according to bubble shape, was developed. Through this work, the reliability and the precision of SIMMER-III have been much raised with regard to bubbly flows for various liquid-to-gas density ratios

Survivable integrated grooming in multi-granularity optical networks

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jingjing; Guo, Lei; Wei, Xuetao; Liu, Yejun

2012-05-01

Survivability is an important issue to ensure the service continuity in optical network. At the same time, with the granularity of traffic demands ranging from sub-wavelength-level to wavelength-level, traffic demands need to be aggregated and carried over the network in order to utilize resources effectively. Therefore, multi-granularity grooming is proposed to save the cost and reduce the number of switching ports in Optical-Cross Connects (OXCs). However, current works mostly addressed the survivable wavelength or waveband grooming. Therefore, in this paper, we propose three heuristic algorithms called Multi-granularity Dedicated Protection Grooming (MDPG), Multi-granularity Shared Protection Grooming (MSPG) and Multi-granularity Mixed Protection Grooming (MMPG), respectively. All of them are performed based on the Survivable Multi-granularity Integrated Auxiliary Graph (SMIAG) that includes one Wavelength Integrated Auxiliary Graph (WIAG) for wavelength protection and one waveBand Integrated Auxiliary Graph (BIAG) for waveband protection. Numerical results show that MMPG has the lowest average port-cost, the best resource utilization ratio and the lowest blocking probability among these three algorithms. Compared with MDPG, MSPG has lower average port-cost, better resource utilization ratio and lower blocking probability.

Superconductivity in inhomogeneous granular metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLean, W.L.

1980-01-01

A model of elongated metal ellipsoids imbedded in a granular metal is treated by an effective medium approach to explain the observed temperature dependence of the normal-state conductivity of superconducting granular aluminum. Josephson tunneling is thus still required to account for the superconductivity. The model predicts the same kind of contrasting behavior on opposite sides of the metal-insulator transition as is found in the recent scaling treatment of Anderson localization

Code development for analysis of MHD pressure drop reduction in a liquid metal blanket using insulation technique based on a fully developed flow model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smolentsev, Sergey; Morley, Neil; Abdou, Mohamed

2005-01-01

The paper presents details of a new numerical code for analysis of a fully developed MHD flow in a channel of a liquid metal blanket using various insulation techniques. The code has specially been designed for channels with a 'sandwich' structure of several materials with different physical properties. The code includes a finite-volume formulation, automatically generated Hartmann number sensitive meshes, and effective convergence acceleration technique. Tests performed at Ha ∼ 10 4 have showed very good accuracy. As an illustration, two blanket flows have been considered: Pb-17Li flow in a channel with a silicon carbide flow channel insert, and Li flow in a channel with insulating coating

Pneumatic fractures in confined granular media.

Science.gov (United States)

Eriksen, Fredrik K; Toussaint, Renaud; Turquet, Antoine L; Måløy, Knut J; Flekkøy, Eirik G

2017-06-01

We perform experiments where air is injected at a constant overpressure P_{in}, ranging from 5 to 250 kPa, into a dry granular medium confined within a horizontal linear Hele-Shaw cell. The setup allows us to explore compacted configurations by preventing decompaction at the outer boundary, i.e., the cell outlet has a semipermeable filter such that beads are stopped while air can pass. We study the emerging patterns and dynamic growth of channels in the granular media due to fluid flow, by analyzing images captured with a high speed camera (1000 images/s). We identify four qualitatively different flow regimes, depending on the imposed overpressure, ranging from no channel formation for P_{in} below 10 kPa, to large thick channels formed by erosion and fingers merging for high P_{in} around 200 kPa. The flow regimes where channels form are characterized by typical finger thickness, final depth into the medium, and growth dynamics. The shape of the finger tips during growth is studied by looking at the finger width w as function of distance d from the tip. The tip profile is found to follow w(d)∝d^{β}, where β=0.68 is a typical value for all experiments, also over time. This indicates a singularity in the curvature d^{2}d/dw^{2}∼κ∼d^{1-2β}, but not of the slope dw/dd∼d^{β-1}, i.e., more rounded tips rather than pointy cusps, as they would be for the case β>1. For increasing P_{in}, the channels generally grow faster and deeper into the medium. We show that the channel length along the flow direction has a linear growth with time initially, followed by a power-law decay of growth velocity with time as the channel approaches its final length. A closer look reveals that the initial growth velocity v_{0} is found to scale with injection pressure as v_{0}∝P_{in}^{3/2}, while at a critical time t_{c} there is a cross-over to the behavior v(t)∝t^{-α}, where α is close to 2.5 for all experiments. Finally, we explore the fractal dimension of the fully

STRUYA a code for two-dimensional fluid flow analysis with and without structure coupling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katz, F.W.; Schlechtendahl, E.G.; Stoelting, K.

1979-11-01

STRUYA is a code for two-dimensional subsonic and supersonic flow analysis. Both Eulerian and Lagrangian grids are allowed. In the third dimension the flow domain may be bounded by a moving wall. The wall movement may be prescribed in a time-and space varying way or computed by a structural model. STRUYA offers a general scheme for adapting various structural models. As a standard feature it includes a cylindrical shell model (CYLDY2). (orig.) [de

Investigation of Two-Phase Flow Regime Maps for Development of Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis Codes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Kyung Doo; Kim, Byoung Jae; Lee, Seong Wook

2010-04-01

This reports is a literature survey on models and correlations for determining flow pattern that are used to simulate thermal-hydraulics in nuclear reactors. Determination of flow patterns are a basis for obtaining physical values of wall/interfacial friction, wall/interfacial heat transfer, and droplet entrainment/de-entrainment. Not only existing system codes, such as RELAP5-3D, TRAC-M, MARS, TRACE, CATHARE) but also up-to-date researches were reviewed to find models and correlations

Nonlinear coherent structures in granular crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Chong, C.; Porter, Mason A.; Kevrekidis, P. G.; Daraio, C.

2017-10-01

The study of granular crystals, which are nonlinear metamaterials that consist of closely packed arrays of particles that interact elastically, is a vibrant area of research that combines ideas from disciplines such as materials science, nonlinear dynamics, and condensed-matter physics. Granular crystals exploit geometrical nonlinearities in their constitutive microstructure to produce properties (such as tunability and energy localization) that are not conventional to engineering materials and linear devices. In this topical review, we focus on recent experimental, computational, and theoretical results on nonlinear coherent structures in granular crystals. Such structures—which include traveling solitary waves, dispersive shock waves, and discrete breathers—have fascinating dynamics, including a diversity of both transient features and robust, long-lived patterns that emerge from broad classes of initial data. In our review, we primarily discuss phenomena in one-dimensional crystals, as most research to date has focused on such scenarios, but we also present some extensions to two-dimensional settings. Throughout the review, we highlight open problems and discuss a variety of potential engineering applications that arise from the rich dynamic response of granular crystals.

On inconsistency in frictional granular systems

Science.gov (United States)

Alart, Pierre; Renouf, Mathieu

2018-04-01

Numerical simulation of granular systems is often based on a discrete element method. The nonsmooth contact dynamics approach can be used to solve a broad range of granular problems, especially involving rigid bodies. However, difficulties could be encountered and hamper successful completion of some simulations. The slow convergence of the nonsmooth solver may sometimes be attributed to an ill-conditioned system, but the convergence may also fail. The prime aim of the present study was to identify situations that hamper the consistency of the mathematical problem to solve. Some simple granular systems were investigated in detail while reviewing and applying the related theoretical results. A practical alternative is briefly analyzed and tested.

Statistical mechanics of dense granular media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coniglio, A; Fierro, A; Nicodemi, M; Ciamarra, M Pica; Tarzia, M

2005-01-01

We discuss some recent results on the statistical mechanics approach to dense granular media. In particular, by analytical mean field investigation we derive the phase diagram of monodisperse and bidisperse granular assemblies. We show that 'jamming' corresponds to a phase transition from a 'fluid' to a 'glassy' phase, observed when crystallization is avoided. The nature of such a 'glassy' phase turns out to be the same as found in mean field models for glass formers. This gives quantitative evidence for the idea of a unified description of the 'jamming' transition in granular media and thermal systems, such as glasses. We also discuss mixing/segregation transitions in binary mixtures and their connections to phase separation and 'geometric' effects

Constructing fine-granularity functional brain network atlases via deep convolutional autoencoder.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yu; Dong, Qinglin; Chen, Hanbo; Iraji, Armin; Li, Yujie; Makkie, Milad; Kou, Zhifeng; Liu, Tianming

2017-12-01

State-of-the-art functional brain network reconstruction methods such as independent component analysis (ICA) or sparse coding of whole-brain fMRI data can effectively infer many thousands of volumetric brain network maps from a large number of human brains. However, due to the variability of individual brain networks and the large scale of such networks needed for statistically meaningful group-level analysis, it is still a challenging and open problem to derive group-wise common networks as network atlases. Inspired by the superior spatial pattern description ability of the deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs), a novel deep 3D convolutional autoencoder (CAE) network is designed here to extract spatial brain network features effectively, based on which an Apache Spark enabled computational framework is developed for fast clustering of larger number of network maps into fine-granularity atlases. To evaluate this framework, 10 resting state networks (RSNs) were manually labeled from the sparsely decomposed networks of Human Connectome Project (HCP) fMRI data and 5275 network training samples were obtained, in total. Then the deep CAE models are trained by these functional networks' spatial maps, and the learned features are used to refine the original 10 RSNs into 17 network atlases that possess fine-granularity functional network patterns. Interestingly, it turned out that some manually mislabeled outliers in training networks can be corrected by the deep CAE derived features. More importantly, fine granularities of networks can be identified and they reveal unique network patterns specific to different brain task states. By further applying this method to a dataset of mild traumatic brain injury study, it shows that the technique can effectively identify abnormal small networks in brain injury patients in comparison with controls. In general, our work presents a promising deep learning and big data analysis solution for modeling functional connectomes, with

Characterization of Unbound Granular Materials for Pavements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Araya, A.A.

2011-01-01

This research is focused on the characterization of the mechanical behavior of unbound granular road base materials (UGMs). An extensive laboratory investigation is described, in which various methods for determination of the mechanical properties of granular materials are examined for their

Predictions of bubbly flows in vertical pipes using two-fluid models in CFDS-FLOW3D code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banas, A.O.; Carver, M.B.; Unrau, D.

1995-01-01

This paper reports the results of a preliminary study exploring the performance of two sets of two-fluid closure relationships applied to the simulation of turbulent air-water bubbly upflows through vertical pipes. Predictions obtained with the default CFDS-FLOW3D model for dispersed flows were compared with the predictions of a new model (based on the work of Lee), and with the experimental data of Liu. The new model, implemented in the CFDS-FLOW3D code, included additional source terms in the open-quotes standardclose quotes κ-ε transport equations for the liquid phase, as well as modified model coefficients and wall functions. All simulations were carried out in a 2-D axisymmetric format, collapsing the general multifluid framework of CFDS-FLOW3D to the two-fluid (air-water) case. The newly implemented model consistently improved predictions of radial-velocity profiles of both phases, but failed to accurately reproduce the experimental phase-distribution data. This shortcoming was traced to the neglect of anisotropic effects in the modelling of liquid-phase turbulence. In this sense, the present investigation should be considered as the first step toward the ultimate goal of developing a theoretically sound and universal CFD-type two-fluid model for bubbly flows in channels

Predictions of bubbly flows in vertical pipes using two-fluid models in CFDS-FLOW3D code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Banas, A.O.; Carver, M.B. [Chalk River Laboratories (Canada); Unrau, D. [Univ. of Toronto (Canada)

1995-09-01

This paper reports the results of a preliminary study exploring the performance of two sets of two-fluid closure relationships applied to the simulation of turbulent air-water bubbly upflows through vertical pipes. Predictions obtained with the default CFDS-FLOW3D model for dispersed flows were compared with the predictions of a new model (based on the work of Lee), and with the experimental data of Liu. The new model, implemented in the CFDS-FLOW3D code, included additional source terms in the {open_quotes}standard{close_quotes} {kappa}-{epsilon} transport equations for the liquid phase, as well as modified model coefficients and wall functions. All simulations were carried out in a 2-D axisymmetric format, collapsing the general multifluid framework of CFDS-FLOW3D to the two-fluid (air-water) case. The newly implemented model consistently improved predictions of radial-velocity profiles of both phases, but failed to accurately reproduce the experimental phase-distribution data. This shortcoming was traced to the neglect of anisotropic effects in the modelling of liquid-phase turbulence. In this sense, the present investigation should be considered as the first step toward the ultimate goal of developing a theoretically sound and universal CFD-type two-fluid model for bubbly flows in channels.

Low-velocity impact cratering experiments in granular slopes

Science.gov (United States)

Hayashi, Kosuke; Sumita, Ikuro

2017-07-01

Low-velocity impact cratering experiments are conducted in sloped granular targets to study the effect of the slope angle θ on the crater shape and its scales. We use two types of granular matter, sand and glass beads, former of which has a larger friction coefficient μs = tanθr , where θr is the angle of repose. Experiments show that as θ increases, the crater becomes shallower and elongated in the direction of the slope. Furthermore the crater floor steepens in the upslope side and a thick rim forms in the downslope side, thus forming an asymmetric profile. High-speed images show that these features are results of ejecta being dispersed farther towards the downslope side and the subsequent avalanche which buries much of the crater floor. Such asymmetric ejecta dispersal can be explained by combining the Z-model and a ballistic model. Using the topographic maps of the craters, we classify crater shape regimes I-III, which transition with increasing θ : a full-rim crater (I), a broken-rim crater (II), and a depression (III). The critical θ for the regime transitions are larger for sand compared to glass beads, but collapse to close values when we use a normalized slope θ^ = tanθ / tanθr . Similarly we derive θ^-dependences of the scaled crater depth, length, width and their ratios which collapse the results for different targets and impact energies. We compare the crater profiles formed in our experiments with deep craters on asteroid Vesta and find that some of the scaled profiles nearly overlap and many have similar depth / length ratios. This suggests that these Vestan craters may also have formed in the gravity regime and that the formation process can be approximated by a granular flow with a similar effective friction coefficient.

Rheology of sediment transported by a laminar flow

Science.gov (United States)

Houssais, M.; Ortiz, C. P.; Durian, D. J.; Jerolmack, D. J.

2016-12-01

Understanding the dynamics of fluid-driven sediment transport remains challenging, as it occurs at the interface between a granular material and a fluid flow. Boyer, Guazzelli, and Pouliquen [Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 188301 (2011)], 10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.188301 proposed a local rheology unifying dense dry-granular and viscous-suspension flows, but it has been validated only for neutrally buoyant particles in a confined and homogeneous system. Here we generalize the Boyer, Guazzelli, and Pouliquen model to account for the weight of a particle by addition of a pressure P0 and test the ability of this model to describe sediment transport in an idealized laboratory river. We subject a bed of settling plastic particles to a laminar-shear flow from above, and use refractive-index-matching to track particles' motion and determine local rheology—from the fluid-granular interface to deep in the granular bed. Data from all experiments collapse onto a single curve of friction μ as a function of the viscous number Iv over the range 3 ×10-5 ≤Iv≤2 , validating the local rheology model. For Ivcreeping regime where we observe a continuous decay of the friction coefficient μ ≤μs as Iv decreases. The rheology of this creep regime cannot be described by the local model, and more work is needed to determine whether a nonlocal rheology model can be modified to account for our findings.

Tsunamis generated by long and thin granular landslides in a large flume

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Garrett S.; Andy Take, W.; Mulligan, Ryan P.; McDougall, Scott

2017-01-01

In this experimental study, granular material is released down slope to investigate landslide-generated waves. Starting with a known volume and initial position of the landslide source, detailed data are obtained on the velocity and thickness of the granular flow, the shape and location of the submarine landslide deposit, the amplitude and shape of the near-field wave, the far-field wave evolution, and the wave runup elevation on a smooth impermeable slope. The experiments are performed on a 6.7 m long 30° slope on which gravity accelerates the landslides into a 2.1 m wide and 33.0 m long wave flume that terminates with a 27° runup ramp. For a fixed landslide volume of 0.34 m3, tests are conducted in a range of still water depths from 0.05 to 0.50 m. Observations from high-speed cameras and measurements from wave probes indicate that the granular landslide moves as a long and thin train of material, and that only a portion of the landslide (termed the "effective mass") is engaged in activating the leading wave. The wave behavior is highly dependent on the water depth relative to the size of the landslide. In deeper water, the near-field wave behaves as a stable solitary-like wave, while in shallower water, the wave behaves as a breaking dissipative bore. Overall, the physical model observations are in good agreement with the results of existing empirical equations when the effective mass is used to predict the maximum near-field wave amplitude, the far-field amplitude, and the runup of tsunamis generated by granular landslides.

Computer code selection criteria for flow and transport code(s) to be used in undisturbed vadose zone calculations for TWRS environmental analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mann, F.M.

1998-01-01

The Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) is responsible for the safe storage, retrieval, and disposal of waste currently being held in 177 underground tanks at the Hanford Site. In order to successfully carry out its mission, TWRS must perform environmental analyses describing the consequences of tank contents leaking from tanks and associated facilities during the storage, retrieval, or closure periods and immobilized low-activity tank waste contaminants leaving disposal facilities. Because of the large size of the facilities and the great depth of the dry zone (known as the vadose zone) underneath the facilities, sophisticated computer codes are needed to model the transport of the tank contents or contaminants. This document presents the code selection criteria for those vadose zone analyses (a subset of the above analyses) where the hydraulic properties of the vadose zone are constant in time the geochemical behavior of the contaminant-soil interaction can be described by simple models, and the geologic or engineered structures are complicated enough to require a two-or three dimensional model. Thus, simple analyses would not need to use the fairly sophisticated codes which would meet the selection criteria in this document. Similarly, those analyses which involve complex chemical modeling (such as those analyses involving large tank leaks or those analyses involving the modeling of contaminant release from glass waste forms) are excluded. The analyses covered here are those where the movement of contaminants can be relatively simply calculated from the moisture flow. These code selection criteria are based on the information from the low-level waste programs of the US Department of Energy (DOE) and of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission as well as experience gained in the DOE Complex in applying these criteria. Appendix table A-1 provides a comparison between the criteria in these documents and those used here. This document does not define the models (that

Thermal-hydraulic analysis of PWR core including intermediate flow mixers with the THYC code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mur, J.; Meignin, J.C.

1997-07-01

Departure from nucleate boiling (DNB) is one of the major limiting factors of pressurized water reactors (PWRs). Safety requires that occurrence of DNB should be precluded under normal or incidental operating conditions. The thermal-hydraulic THYC code developed by EDF is described. The code is devoted to heat and mass transfer in nuclear components. Critical Heat Flux (CHF) is predicted from local thermal-hydraulic parameters such as pressure, mass flow rate, and quality. A three stage methodology to evaluate thermal margins in order to perform standard core design is described. (K.A.)

Thermal-hydraulic analysis of PWR core including intermediate flow mixers with the THYC code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mur, J. [Electricite de France (EDF), 78 - Chatou (France); Meignin, J.C. [Electricite de France (EDF), 69 - Villeurbanne (France)

1997-07-01

Departure from nucleate boiling (DNB) is one of the major limiting factors of pressurized water reactors (PWRs). Safety requires that occurrence of DNB should be precluded under normal or incidental operating conditions. The thermal-hydraulic THYC code developed by EDF is described. The code is devoted to heat and mass transfer in nuclear components. Critical Heat Flux (CHF) is predicted from local thermal-hydraulic parameters such as pressure, mass flow rate, and quality. A three stage methodology to evaluate thermal margins in order to perform standard core design is described. (K.A.) 8 refs.

Uniform shock waves in disordered granular matter.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez, Leopoldo R; Turner, Ari M; Vitelli, Vincenzo

2012-10-01

The confining pressure P is perhaps the most important parameter controlling the properties of granular matter. Strongly compressed granular media are, in many respects, simple solids in which elastic perturbations travel as ordinary phonons. However, the speed of sound in granular aggregates continuously decreases as the confining pressure decreases, completely vanishing at the jamming-unjamming transition. This anomalous behavior suggests that the transport of energy at low pressures should not be dominated by phonons. In this work we use simulations and theory to show how the response of granular systems becomes increasingly nonlinear as pressure decreases. In the low-pressure regime the elastic energy is found to be mainly transported through nonlinear waves and shocks. We numerically characterize the propagation speed, shape, and stability of these shocks and model the dependence of the shock speed on pressure and impact intensity by a simple analytical approach.

The COSIMA-experiments, a data base for validation of two-phase flow computer codes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Class, G.; Meyder, R.; Stratmanns, E.

1985-12-01

The report presents an overview on the large data base generated with COSIMA. The data base is to be used to validate and develop computer codes for two-phase flow. In terms of fuel rod behavior it was found that during blowdown under realistic conditions only small strains are reached. For clad rupture extremely high rod internal pressure is necessary. Additionally important results were found in the behavior of a fuel rod simulator and on the effect of thermocouples attached on the cladding outer surface. Post-test calculations, performed with the codes RELAP and DRUFAN show a good agreement with the experiments. This however can be improved if the phase separation models in the codes would be updated. (orig./HP) [de

Insights on pumping well interpretation from flow dimension analysis: The learnings of a multi-context field database

Science.gov (United States)

Ferroud, Anouck; Chesnaux, Romain; Rafini, Silvain

2018-01-01

The flow dimension parameter n, derived from the Generalized Radial Flow model, is a valuable tool to investigate the actual flow regimes that really occur during a pumping test rather than suppose them to be radial, as postulated by the Theis-derived models. A numerical approach has shown that, when the flow dimension is not radial, using the derivative analysis rather than the conventional Theis and Cooper-Jacob methods helps to estimate much more accurately the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer. Although n has been analysed in numerous studies including field-based studies, there is a striking lack of knowledge about its occurrence in nature and how it may be related to the hydrogeological setting. This study provides an overview of the occurrence of n in natural aquifers located in various geological contexts including crystalline rock, carbonate rock and granular aquifers. A comprehensive database is compiled from governmental and industrial sources, based on 69 constant-rate pumping tests. By means of a sequential analysis approach, we systematically performed a flow dimension analysis in which straight segments on drawdown-log derivative time series are interpreted as successive, specific and independent flow regimes. To reduce the uncertainties inherent in the identification of n sequences, we used the proprietary SIREN code to execute a dual simultaneous fit on both the drawdown and the drawdown-log derivative signals. Using the stated database, we investigate the frequency with which the radial and non-radial flow regimes occur in fractured rock and granular aquifers, and also provide outcomes that indicate the lack of applicability of Theis-derived models in representing nature. The results also emphasize the complexity of hydraulic signatures observed in nature by pointing out n sequential signals and non-integer n values that are frequently observed in the database.

Shock waves in weakly compressed granular media.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Wildenberg, Siet; van Loo, Rogier; van Hecke, Martin

2013-11-22

We experimentally probe nonlinear wave propagation in weakly compressed granular media and observe a crossover from quasilinear sound waves at low impact to shock waves at high impact. We show that this crossover impact grows with the confining pressure P0, whereas the shock wave speed is independent of P0-two hallmarks of granular shocks predicted recently. The shocks exhibit surprising power law attenuation, which we model with a logarithmic law implying that shock dissipation is weak and qualitatively different from other granular dissipation mechanisms. We show that elastic and potential energy balance in the leading part of the shocks.

Role of hydraulic retention time and granular medium in microbial removal in tertiary treatment reed beds.

Science.gov (United States)

García, Joan; Vivar, Joan; Aromir, Maria; Mujeriego, Rafael

2003-06-01

The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the role of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and granular medium in faecal coliform (FC) and somatic coliphage (SC) removal in tertiary reed beds. Experiments were carried out in a pilot plant with four parallel reed beds (horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands), each one containing a different type of granular medium. This pilot plant is located in a wastewater treatment plant in Montcada i Reixac, near Barcelona, in northeastern Spain. The microbial inactivation ratios obtained in the different beds are compared as a function of three selected HRTs. Secondary effluent from the wastewater treatment plant was used as the influent of the pilot system. The microbial inactivation ratio ranged between 0.1 and 2.7 log-units for FC and from 0.5 to 1.7 log-units for SC in beds with coarser granular material (5-25mm), while it ranged between 0.7 and 3.4 log-units for FC and from 0.9 to 2.6 log-units for SC in the bed with finer material (2-13mm). HRT and granular medium are both key factors in microbial removal in the tertiary reed beds. The microbial inactivation ratio rises as the HRT increases until it reaches a saturation value (in general at an HRT of 3 days). The value of the microbial inactivation ratio at the saturation level depends on the granular medium contained in the bed. The specific surface area necessary to reach 2-3 log-units of FC and SC is approximately 3m(2)/person-equivalent.

Modeling chemical gradients in sediments under losing and gaining flow conditions: The GRADIENT code

Science.gov (United States)

Boano, Fulvio; De Falco, Natalie; Arnon, Shai

2018-02-01

Interfaces between sediments and water bodies often represent biochemical hotspots for nutrient reactions and are characterized by steep concentration gradients of different reactive solutes. Vertical profiles of these concentrations are routinely collected to obtain information on nutrient dynamics, and simple codes have been developed to analyze these profiles and determine the magnitude and distribution of reaction rates within sediments. However, existing publicly available codes do not consider the potential contribution of water flow in the sediments to nutrient transport, and their applications to field sites with significant water-borne nutrient fluxes may lead to large errors in the estimated reaction rates. To fill this gap, the present work presents GRADIENT, a novel algorithm to evaluate distributions of reaction rates from observed concentration profiles. GRADIENT is a Matlab code that extends a previously published framework to include the role of nutrient advection, and provides robust estimates of reaction rates in sediments with significant water flow. This work discusses the theoretical basis of the method and shows its performance by comparing the results to a series of synthetic data and to laboratory experiments. The results clearly show that in systems with losing or gaining fluxes, the inclusion of such fluxes is critical for estimating local and overall reaction rates in sediments.

Concepts and design of the CMS high granularity calorimeter Level-1 trigger

CERN Document Server

Sauvan, Jean-Baptiste

2016-01-01

The CMS experiment has chosen a novel high granularity calorimeter for the forward region as part of its planned upgrade for the high luminosity LHC. The calorimeter will have a fine segmentation in both the transverse and longitudinal directions and will be the first such calorimeter specifically optimised for particle flow reconstruction to operate at a colliding beam experiment. The high granularity results in around six million readout channels in total and so presents a significant challenge in terms of data manipulation and processing for the trigger; the trigger data volumes will be an order of magnitude above those currently handled at CMS. In addition, the high luminosity will result in an average of 140 to 200 interactions per bunch crossing, giving a huge background rate in the forward region that needs to be efficiently reduced by the trigger algorithms. Efficient data reduction and reconstruction algorithms making use of the fine segmentation of the detector have been simulated and evaluated. The...

Defining and testing a granular continuum element

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rycroft, Chris H.; Kamrin, Ken; Bazant, Martin Z.

2007-12-03

Continuum mechanics relies on the fundamental notion of amesoscopic volume "element" in which properties averaged over discreteparticles obey deterministic relationships. Recent work on granularmaterials suggests a continuum law may be inapplicable, revealinginhomogeneities at the particle level, such as force chains and slow cagebreaking. Here, we analyze large-scale Discrete-Element Method (DEM)simulations of different granular flows and show that a "granularelement" can indeed be defined at the scale of dynamical correlations,roughly three to five particle diameters. Its rheology is rather subtle,combining liquid-like dependence on deformation rate and solid-likedependence on strain. Our results confirm some aspects of classicalplasticity theory (e.g., coaxiality of stress and deformation rate),while contradicting others (i.e., incipient yield), and can guide thedevelopment of more realistic continuum models.

An Emotional Agent Model Based on Granular Computing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Hu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Affective computing has a very important significance for fulfilling intelligent information processing and harmonious communication between human being and computers. A new model for emotional agent is proposed in this paper to make agent have the ability of handling emotions, based on the granular computing theory and the traditional BDI agent model. Firstly, a new emotion knowledge base based on granular computing for emotion expression is presented in the model. Secondly, a new emotional reasoning algorithm based on granular computing is proposed. Thirdly, a new emotional agent model based on granular computing is presented. Finally, based on the model, an emotional agent for patient assistant in hospital is realized, experiment results show that it is efficient to handle simple emotions.

A high-resolution code for large eddy simulation of incompressible turbulent boundary layer flows

KAUST Repository

Cheng, Wan

2014-03-01

We describe a framework for large eddy simulation (LES) of incompressible turbulent boundary layers over a flat plate. This framework uses a fractional-step method with fourth-order finite difference on a staggered mesh. We present several laminar examples to establish the fourth-order accuracy and energy conservation property of the code. Furthermore, we implement a recycling method to generate turbulent inflow. We use the stretched spiral vortex subgrid-scale model and virtual wall model to simulate the turbulent boundary layer flow. We find that the case with Reθ ≈ 2.5 × 105 agrees well with available experimental measurements of wall friction, streamwise velocity profiles and turbulent intensities. We demonstrate that for cases with extremely large Reynolds numbers (Reθ = 1012), the present LES can reasonably predict the flow with a coarse mesh. The parallel implementation of the LES code demonstrates reasonable scaling on O(103) cores. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Core 2D. A code for non-isothermal water flow and reactive solute transport. Users manual version 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samper, J.; Juncosa, R.; Delgado, J.; Montenegro, L. [Universidad de A Coruna (Spain)

2000-07-01

Understanding natural groundwater quality patterns, quantifying groundwater pollution and assessing the effects of waste disposal, require modeling tools accounting for water flow, and transport of heat and dissolved species as well as their complex interactions with solid and gases phases. This report contains the users manual of CORE ''2D Version V.2.0, a COde for modeling water flow (saturated and unsaturated), heat transport and multicomponent Reactive solute transport under both local chemical equilibrium and kinetic conditions. it is an updated and improved version of CORE-LE-2D V0 (Samper et al., 1988) which in turns is an extended version of TRANQUI, a previous reactive transport code (ENRESA, 1995). All these codes were developed within the context of Research Projects funded by ENRESA and the European Commission. (Author)

Core2D. A code for non-isothermal water flow and reactive solute transport. Users manual version 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samper, J.; Juncosa, R.; Delgado, J.; Montenegro, L.

2000-01-01

Understanding natural groundwater quality patterns, quantifying groundwater pollution and assessing the effects of waste disposal, require modeling tools accounting for water flow, and transport of heat and dissolved species as well as their complex interactions with solid and gases phases. This report contains the users manual of CORE ''2D Version V.2.0, a COde for modeling water flow (saturated and unsaturated), heat transport and multicomponent Reactive solute transport under both local chemical equilibrium and kinetic conditions. it is an updated and improved version of CORE-LE-2D V0 (Samper et al., 1988) which in turns is an extended version of TRANQUI, a previous reactive transport code (ENRESA, 1995). All these codes were developed within the context of Research Projects funded by ENRESA and the European Commission. (Author)