When granular flow modeling is simple, and when it isn't

Ken Kamrin

Hopeman 224

Granular materials are common in terrain mechanics and industry but are historically difficult to model at large scales.  In this talk we develop a family of continuum models and solvers, that permit quantitative modeling for a variety of applications, ranging from general problems to specific techniques for problems of intrusion, impact, driving, and locomotion in grains.  To calculate flows in general cases, a rather significant nonlocal effect is evident, which is well-captured with our recent nonlocal model accounting for grain cooperativity within the flow rule.  On the other hand, to model only intrusion forces on submerged objects, we will show, and explain why, many of the experimentally observed results can be captured from a much simpler tension-free frictional plasticity model.  This approach gives way to some surprisingly simple general tools, including the granular Resistive Force Theory, and a broad set of scaling laws inherent to the problem of granular locomotion.  These scalings are validated experimentally and in discrete particle simulations suggesting a new down-scaled paradigm for granular locomotive design, on earth and beyond, to be used much like scaling laws in fluid mechanics.