Granular flow and fluidized beds

Granular materials — powders, seeds, sand, pharmaceutical pellets — behave neither like solids nor liquids, shifting unpredictably between the two depending on how they are stressed or agitated. Researchers use discrete element method (DEM) simulations and continuum rheological models to track how individual particles collide, cluster, and exchange momentum with surrounding gas in systems like fluidized beds, where an upward gas stream suspends solid particles and dramatically accelerates mixing, drying, and reaction. A central challenge is bridging scales: the microscopic contact forces between grains must somehow translate into reliable macroscopic flow predictions for industrial equipment handling tons of material per hour. Active directions include developing coarse-grained simulation strategies that remain computationally tractable at industrial scale, and better characterizing the complex rheology of cohesive powders, where surface forces between fine particles produce flow instabilities that simple friction-based models still struggle to capture.

Works

70,240

Total citations

1,132,589

Keywords

Granular FlowsDiscrete Particle SimulationFluidized BedsDEM ModelingParticle DynamicsRheology