English

Granular segregation across flow geometries: a closure model for the particle segregation velocity

Soft Condensed Matter 2025-10-22 v2

Abstract

Predicting particle segregation has remained challenging due to the lack of a general model for the segregation velocity that is applicable across a range of granular flow geometries. Here, a segregation velocity model for dense granular flows is developed by exploiting momentum balance and recent advances in particle-scale modelling of the segregation driving and drag forces over a wide range of particle concentrations, size and density ratios, and flow conditions. This model is shown to correctly predict particle segregation velocity in a diverse set of idealized and natural granular flow geometries simulated using the discrete element method. When incorporated in the well-established advection-diffusion-segregation formulation, the model has the potential to accurately capture segregation phenomena in many relevant industrial application and geophysical settings.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2410.08350,
  title  = {Granular segregation across flow geometries: a closure model for the particle segregation velocity},
  author = {Yifei Duan and Lu Jing and Paul B. Umbanhowar and Julio M. Ottino and Richard M. Lueptow},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2410.08350},
  year   = {2025}
}