Avalanching granular flows down curved and twisted channels: Theoretical and experimental results

Abstract

Depth evolution and final deposits play a crucial role in the description of the dynamics of granular avalanches. This paper presents new and important results on the geometric deformation and measurements of avalanche depositions in laboratory granular flows and their comparisons with theoretical predictions through some benchmark problems for flows down curved and twisted channels merging into a horizontal plane. XY-table and analoglaser sensor are applied to measure geometries of deposited masses in the fanlike open transition and runout zones for different granular materials, different channel lengths, and different channel mouths in the runout zone. The model equations proposed by Pudasaini and Hutter [“Rapid shear flows of dry granular masses down curved and twisted channels,” J. Fluid Mech. 495, 193 (2003)] are used for theoretical prediction. We show that geometric parameters such as curvature, twist and local details of the channel play a crucial role in the description of avalanching debris and their deposits in the standstill. Asymmetric depositions and surface contours about the central line of the channel could not be produced and predicted by any other classical theories and available experiments in the literature as done in this paper. Such a role played by the geometrical parameters of the channel over physical parameters for the flow of granular materials down a general channel was not investigated before. It is demonstrated that the numerical simulations of the model equations and experimental observations are generally in good agreement.