Granular flows and silos

In this line of researchthe following are studied the mechanisms governing the passage of a set of particles through a narrowing. The movement may be simply by gravity or controlled by an extraction mechanism such as a conveyor belt. Although this process is ubiquitous in the industry, there is no expression that relates the microscopic properties of the material to its extraction rate. Thus, our grouphas pioneered in deriving an expression for the discharge flow rate as a function of the outlet size, relating it also to kinetic characteristics of the discharge process.

More information at

- Jamming during the discharge of granular matter from a silo (.pdf)

- Jamming and critical outlet size in the discharge of a two-dimensional silo (.pdf)

- The flow rate of granular materials through an orifice (.pdf)

- Flow-rate fluctuations in the outpouring of grains from a two-dimensional silo (.pdf)

- Silo Clogging Reduction by the Presence of an Obstacle (.pdf)

- Flow and clogging in a silo with an obstacle above the orifice (.pdf)