Discharge of a granular silo under mechanical vibrations

Abstract

In this paper, we study the flow rate of model granular material in a silo under the influence of mechanical vibrations. Experimental measurements and discrete element simulations (DEM) are performed in a quasi-2D silo. The influence on the flow rate of the opening size and the vibration applied on the entire silo is studied. Two distinct regimes are evidenced, governed by the Froude number Fr and the relative frequency Ω. In the first regime, a decreased flow rate is observed when increasing the vibration intensity. This behavior is explained by the presence of reorganizations induced by the vibration, leading to a more homogeneous but also slower flow. In the second regime, an increased flow rate is evidenced when increasing the vibration intensity. We find this behavior comes from the intermittent nature of the flow, where the flow rate is directly controlled by the propagation of shock waves all along the silo.