The influence of grain shape,friction and cohesion on granular compaction dynamics

This article is a review of our recent and new experimental works on granular compaction. The effects of various microscopic parameters on the compaction dynamics are addressed, in particular the influence of the grain shape, the friction and the cohesion between the grains. Two dimensionnal and three dimensionnal systems are analysed. And the role of dimensionality will be emphasized. Theoretical and numerical investigations provide additional informations about that phenomenon. Indeed numerical models permit us to study the influence of some parameters not easily accessible experimentally. Our results show that the above mentioned parameters have a deep impact on the compaction dynamics. Anisotropic grains lead to two different compaction regimes separated by a “burst" of the packing fraction. Friction is observed to modify how the grains are arranged in the pile. This is confirmed by numerical simulations. Cohesive forces between particles inhibit compaction and lead to extremely low values of the packing fraction.     

About the influence of friction and polydispersity on the jamming behavior of bead assemblies

We study the jamming of bead assemblies placed in a cylindrical container whose bottom is pierced with a circular hole. Their jamming behavior is quantified here by the median jamming diameter, that is the diameter of the hole for which the jamming probability is 0.5. Median jamming diameters of monodisperse assemblies are obtained numerically using the Distinct Element Method and experimentally with steel beads. We obtain good agreement between numerical and experimental results. The influence of friction is then investigated. In particular, the formation of concentric bead rings is observed for low frictions. We identify this phenomenon as a boundary effect and study its influence on jamming. Relying on measures obtained from simulation runs, the median jamming diameter of bidisperse bead assemblies is finally found to depend only on the volume-average diameter of their constituting beads. We formulate this as a tentative law and validate it using bidisperse assemblies of steel beads.     

The effect of the VOF–CSF static contact angle boundary condition on the dynamics of sliding and bouncing ellipsoidal bubbles

The static contact angle is the only empiricism introduced in a Volume of Fluid–Continuum Surface Force (VOF–CSF) model of bubbly flow. Although it has previously been shown to have a relatively limited effect on the accuracy of velocity and shape predictions in the case of large gas bubbles sliding under inclined walls (e.g. Cook and Behnia, 2001), it may have a more determining influence on the numerical prediction of the dynamics of smaller ellipsoidal bubbles which were shown by Tsao and Koch (1997) to bounce repeatedly when sliding under inclined walls at certain wall inclinations. The present paper reports on the influence of surface tension and the static contact angle on the dynamics of an ellipsoidal air bubble of equivalent diameter D_e = 3.4 mm. The bubble Eötvös and Morton numbers are Eo = 1.56 and Mo = 2 × 10⁻¹¹ respectively. The computational results are achieved with a Piecewise Linear Construction (PLIC) of the interface and are reviewed with reference to experimental measurements of bubble velocity and interface shape oscillations recorded using a high speed digital camera. Tests are performed at plate inclination angles θ ∈ {10°, 20°, 30°, 45°} to the horizontal and computational models consider three static contact angles θ_c ∈ {10°, 20°, 30°}. The static contact angle has been found to have a significant effect on the bubble dynamics but to varying degree depending on the plate inclination. It is shown to promote lift off and bouncing when the plate inclination angle reaches 30° in a way that does not necessarily reflect experimental observations.     

Comparison between three static mixers for emulsification in turbulent flow

This paper deals with comparing performances of three different static mixers in terms of pressure drop generated by both single-phase flow and liquid–liquid flow in turbulent flow regime and in terms of emulsification performances. The three motionless mixers compared are the well-known SMX™ and SMV™ and the new version of the SMX called SMXPlus™. This experimental study aims at highlighting the influence of the dispersed phase concentration and some of the geometrical parameters such as number of elements and design of the motionless mixer on droplets size distributions characteristics. Finally, experimental results are correlated in terms of Sauter mean diameter as a function of hydrodynamic dimensionless numbers.     

Nanostructure development in nylon 6-Cloisite® 30B composites. Effects of the preparation conditions

PA6 composites with Cloisite® 30B (30B), prepared by different procedures, i.e., melt compounding, static annealing and solution blending, have been characterized by X-ray diffraction and microscopic analyses (TEM, SEM, POM) in order to shed more light on the mechanism of nanostructure development. It has been demonstrated that intercalation of the PA6 chains within the 30B galleries takes place very rapidly, in the absence of applied stresses, even when the size of the clay particles is relatively large (tens of microns) and the clay loading is very high (even 50 wt.%). It has also been shown that, if, conversely, the filler content is low (∼10 wt.% or less) and the particles are tiny (e.g., as for polymer/clay mixtures prepared by precipitation from a common solution), intercalation continues, under quiescent conditions, and leads in reasonable times to complete destruction of the silicate platelets stacking order. The composites with higher filler contents display a mixed exfoliated/intercalated morphology, with the intercalated silicate stacks characterized by an interlayer distance of about 3.7 nm. Contrary to statically annealed composites, the melt kneaded ones are characterized by a homogeneous dispersion of the filler particles and a local parallel orientation of the silicate platelets that induces, during polymer crystallization, an orientation of the polymer crystallites parallel to the faces of the compression molded specimens. Experiments carried out using 30B samples previously treated at 250 °C for 4 h under vacuum (30Bdegr) indicate that this treatment, probably due to the collapsed interlayer spaces, lowers the extent of PA6 chains intercalation. Thus, the relevant PA6/30Bdegr composites are characterized by the coexistence of unintercalated clay tactoids/agglomerates and individual silicate layers formed as result of intercalation on the edges of the filler particles.     

Dynamic versus static ultrasonic sample treatment for the solid-liquid pre-concentration of mercury from human urine

Dynamic and static ultrasonic procedures involving ultrasonic bath and tandem focused ultrasound (i.e. two probes were used in the same sample treatment) have been assessed in order to implement a reliable solid-liquid back extraction of mercury from commercial resins (dowex and chelex-100), previously used to concentrate Hg(II) from treated urine. The urine had been previously treated with an advanced oxidation process provided by the conjunction of potassium permanganate, hydrochloric acid and high intensity focused ultrasound, which allowed that organic matter degradation was achieved in less than 3 min. 95 ± 10% of mercury in the certified urine and 97 ± 6% of the spiked methyl-mercury was recovered with the dowex resin plus the static ultrasonic procedure, whilst 96 ± 11% of the spiked mercury was recovered with the dowex resin plus the dynamic procedure, for which ultrasonication was not necessary. The Hg pre-concentration factor used in this work was 8 (20 mL of urine to 2.5 mL of acid), but different volume ratios can be used in order to increase this factor.     

Static secondary ion mass spectrometry (S-SIMS) for the characterization of surface components in mineral particulates

The feasibility of static secondary ion mass spectrometry (S-SIMS) for the detection of molecule specific information from complex materials, such as natural clay and soil samples, has been investigated. Ion trap (IT), as well as triple quadrupole (TQ) instruments, have been used for mass analysis. Secondary ion images have been acquired using time-of-flight (TOF) S-SIMS. The generation of molecular adduct ions from thin and thick layers on the mineral substrates has been investigated using KBr as a simple model system. Results show that molecular adducts of KBr can be indeed detected from the spiked materials. However, the concentrations of the spiking solutions have to be significantly larger than expected from the surface area measured by gas adsorption techniques. In addition imaging analysis has evidenced that the detection of adduct ions in the mass spectra directly relates to the presence of local micro-crystallites.     

Parameterisation,validation and implementation of an all-terrain SUV FTire tyre model

This paper focuses on the parameterisation, validation and implementation of an FTire model of a Michelin LTX A/T² 235/85R16 tyre. This tyre is designed for both on- and off-road use and is commonly used on all wheel drive SUVs. Quasi-static laboratory and dynamic field tests were conducted to acquire parameterisation and validation test data for the FTire model. Quasi-static parameterisation tests include acquiring vertical tyre stiffness over a flat plate and cleats, tyre footprint sizes and shapes, longitudinal, lateral and torsional tyre stiffness for various tyre normal loads, as well as vibrational tyre responses. Dynamic parameterisation tests include dynamic cleat test data. An Adams model of the tyre testing equipment is implemented to simulate the FTire model and validate it against dynamic validation test results. Finally, the model is implemented on a fully nonlinear multi-body dynamics model of a Land Rover Defender. It is found that the FTire model is able to predict the lateral tyre behaviour well on a smooth road surface. The vertical and longitudinal tyre behaviour on a smooth road surface and on a rough surface are predicted accurately.     

Sensitive linear response of an electron-hole superfluid in a periodic potential

We consider excitons in a two-dimensional periodic potential and study the linear response of the excitonic superfluid to an electromagnetic wave at low and high densities. It turns out that the static structure factor for small wavevectors is very sensitive to a change of density and temperature. It is a consequence of the fact that thermal fluctuations play a crucial role at small wavevectors, since exchanging the order of the two limits, zero temperature and vanishing wavevector, leads to different results for the structure factor. This effect could be used for high accuracy measurements in the superfluid exciton phase, which might be realized by a gated electron-hole gas, for instance, in coupled quantum wells or double layer materials. The transition of the exciton system from the superfluid state to a non-superfluid state and its manifestation by light scattering are discussed.