Fluctuation of particles during funnel flow discharge from flat‐bottomed silos

Abstract

Although resonant motion of particles during mass flow discharge from silos has been extensively investigated by earlier researchers, the appearance of such phenomenon during funnel flow discharge has not been emphasized. In this work, the flow behavior of particles during funnel flow discharge from flat‐bottomed silos has been investigated by conducting three‐dimensional Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations. It is found that particles in the upper part of flowing zone move collectively, manifested by the oscillatory fluctuations of the velocity and the non‐Gaussian characteristics of the fluctuations of individual velocity around the average. Correlation analysis and discrete Fourier transform have been performed to characterize the emission and propagation of velocity fluctuation. It is found that the observed resonant motion of particles is induced by the regular fluctuation of contact force between particles, and there exists an intermediate region in the converging part of the flowing zone. The bottom boundary of this region corresponds to the emission source from which the velocity wave propagates upward and downward. Its upper boundary coincides with that of the converging part of the flowing zone and is featured by the most violent fluctuation of contact force. The simulation results thus suggest that the discharge of granular assembly seems to be determined by the rheological behavior of particles in this intermediate region.