Simulations of Gravity-Driven Channel Flows of Disks Floating on the Flowing Viscous Fluid

by Marijan Babi?, Univ of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, United States,
Hayley H. Shen, Univ of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Mechanics Computing in 1990's and Beyond

Abstract:

A two-dimensional discrete element model has been applied to the problem of gravity-driven channel flow of uniform disks. The particles are floating on the surface of the flowing fluid (e.g. surface ice in rivers). Fluid-solid interactions are included by considering the drag force between particles and the fluid. Uniform flows are simulated using the periodic boundary technique. The results compare favorably with the theoretical solution obtained by Babic (1990), which is based on the kinetic theory formulations (Richman and Chou, 1988). In the limit of dry granular flows the results compare favorably with the air-table experimental data of Sanders, et al. (1988). Non-uniform, unsteady granular flows in a straight channel are simulated using the newly developed 'upstream feeding scheme'. As an interesting example, it is shown how a static surface jam can form in a relatively narrow channel in which the mean flow rapidly decelerates from the upstream towards the downstream end of the study reach.

Subject Headings: Fluid flow | Channel flow | Granular materials | Fluid-structure interaction | Fluid dynamics | Flow simulation | Two-dimensional models

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