Axial segregation in horizontally vibrated granular materials: A numerical study

Abstract

It is known that a horizontally vibrated binary mixture in a tapered and inclined channel segregates axially, with the two species moving to the opposite ends of the channel. In general, the parameters that affect the segregation process include the forcing frequency and its amplitude, the constituents’ mass and size, and the taper and inclination of the channel. The ultimate goal here is to locate those parameters that are most significant to the segregation process, thereby providing control variables for practical applications. However, owing to the complexity of the problem, as a first step to better understand the physics behind this phenomenon, we undertake three dimensional molecular dynamics simulations of a horizontally vibrated mono-disperse granular particles in a tapered and inclined channel. Though at this stage, the immediately addressed problem is of more relevance to the granular material industry, it is envisaged that tools developed to understand this process will ultimately have wide applicability to granular systems, occurring in both natural contexts and in geotechnical engineering.