Power-law scaling in granular rheology across flow geometries

Abstract

Based on discrete element method simulations, we propose a new form of the constitution equation for granular flows independent of packing fraction. Rescaling the stress ratio $\mu$ by a power of dimensionless temperature $\Theta$ makes the data from a wide set of flow geometries collapse to a master curve depending only on the inertial number $I$. The basic power-law structure appears robust to varying particle properties (e.g. surface friction) in both 2D and 3D systems. We show how this rheology fits and extends frameworks such as kinetic theory and the Nonlocal Granular Fluidity model.

11 pages with 11 figures and 1 video (ancillary file)

References in corpus (4)

• Annular shear of cohesionless granular materials: from inertial to quasistatic regime
• A Microscopic Description of the Granular Fluidity Field in Nonlocal Flow Modeling
• Role of vibrations in the jamming and unjamming of grains discharging from a silo
• Initiation of granular surface flows in a narrow channel

Cited by in corpus (3)

• Anomalous Scaling of Aeolian Sand Transport Reveals Coupling to Bed Rheology
• Inertial Force Transmission in Dense Granular Flows
• Self-diffusion in inhomogeneous granular shearing flows