Friction-dependent rheology of dry granular systems

Abstract

Understanding the rheology of granular assemblies is important for natural and engineering systems, but the relationship between inter-particle friction (or microscopic friction) and macroscopic friction is still not well understood. In this study, using the discrete element method (DEM) with spherical particles and realistic contact laws, we investigate the mechanics of granular systems with a wide range of inter-particle frictional coefficients and aim to establish a friction-dependent rheology for dry granular flows. The corresponding results show that increasing inter-particle friction dramatically increases the effective frictional coefficient, μeff, while decreasing the solid fraction of the system and increasing the transitional inertial number that marks the division of quasi-static regimes and intermediate flow regimes. We further propose a new dimensionless number, $${\cal M}$$ , as a ratio between the inertial effect and frictional effect, which is similar to the effective aspect ratio in granular column collapses, and unifies the influence of inter-particle friction with the inertial number. We then establish a relationship between $${\cal M}$$ and the dimensionless granular temperature, Θ, to further universalize the influence of inter-particle frictions. Such study can broaden the application of the μ(I) rheology in natural and engineering systems and help establish a more general constitutive model for complex granular systems.