Wednesday, 2 November 2005 - 1:00 PM
364c

Segregation under Chaotic Flow in 2d Granular Systems

Stephen E. Cisar1, Paul B. Umbanhowar2, and Julio M. Ottino1. (1) Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Rd, Tech E136, Evanston, IL 60209, (2) Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208

Experiments reveal that an initially well mixed granular material composed of two distinct subclasses of particles, small and large or light and heavy, segregates radially into stable lobed patterns when rotated in various quasi two-dimensional, regular polygonal tumblers. The patterns are highly sensitive to the time periodic flow, which in turn depends critically on the fill fraction and container shape. Simulations of a simple model reproduce the observed segregation patterns. KAM regions in Poincaré plots of the velocity field used to model the flow attract smaller (denser) particles and their spatial symmetries mirror those of the segregation patterns, suggesting that competition between the driving forces for radial segregation (percolation and buoyancy) and those for chaotic mixing play a key role in determining the patterns.


Web Page: mixing.chem-eng.northwestern.edu

See more of #364 - Mixing and Segregation (03011)
See more of Particle Technology Forum

See more of The 2005 Annual Meeting (Cincinnati, OH)