Forces and flow induced by a moving intruder in a granular packing: coarse-graining and DEM simulations versus experiments

Abstract : The study of stress transmission and particles' mobility in powder beds constitutes a challenging issue to improve processes such as milling, agglomeration and kneading. In this paper the ability to promote particle mobilities by means of an intruder is investigated. An experimental setup was developed to characterize the particles' mobility at the voxel scale. A Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) algorithm was employed to determine the velocity fields in the vicinity of an intruder in ascendant vertical motion. A Discrete Element Method (DEM) model was developed to simulate the same system at the particle scale. Velocity maps were determined relying on a coarse-graining procedure and compared to PIV results. During the rise of the intruder the experimental and simulated drag forces are in good agreement. Spatio-temporal correlation between the granular mobility and the state of the force network are analyzed as a function of the height of the intruder. The drag force profile exhibits a relaxation 2 trend, noised by fluctuations whose origin are in successive loading/rupture events. An interpretation of these fluctuations is proposed with regard to the development of preferential paths in the normal force network, and to the localization of sliding at the contacts scale. Finally, we show that global strains are a consequence of the ejection of particles directly in contact with the ends of the intruder.