Effect of grain shape on the jamming of two-dimensional silos

Abstract

We present discrete element method simulations of the discharge of silos in two dimensions. We study the effect of the grain shape on the clogging of small apertures, considering regular polygons and disks of equal mass. In particular, we analyze the avalanche size distribution and the jamming probability for disks, triangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons and heptagons as a function of the aperture size. We show that the jamming probability presents a non-linear response as a function of the number of vertexes of the polygons.

Clogging in two-dimensions: effect of particle shape

“…We use two alternative methods to resume the flow after a clogging event. In the method that we call global perturbation, we carry out a new simulation by filling a new silo using dierent random initial positions for the grains after each clog [21]. For the method that we call local perturbation, we unclog the system by removing some particles from the blocking arch and reinjecting them on top of the silo.…”