Simulations of non-stationary flows of dry granular material along an inclined chute

Abstract

In this work, the signals generated by grain-to-base multiple impacts of three different granular materials flowing along an inclined chute and characterized by unsteady-state conditions are investigated through the discrete element method (DEM). The effect of different grain-size and angularity of the grains are taken into account. Various instants of the flows are studied, focusing in particular on the analysis of the signal produced by the passage of the material on a portion of the base of the chute, and on the study of the motion of the particles close to the base. The numerical results allow us to have an insight into the characteristics of the flows and to explain the behavior of the granular material at the contact with the base.