Jamming in granular shear flows of frictional, polydisperse cylindrical particles

The effect of particle geometry and initial configuration on the phase behavior of twisted convex n-prisms

We study the phase behavior of twisted convex n-prisms with n = 3 and 4, via Monte Carlo simulations. Biaxial phases, in untwisted prisms, can be induced by choosing specific geometries of the prisms. However, due to the convexity of the twisted particles, a strong twisting disables the formation of biaxial phases and stabilizes uniaxial nematic and smectic phases. Using the increased volume of the twisted convex particles, we define an effective aspect ratio of the twisted prisms and find a homogeneous phase behavior across the geometry of the prisms' cross-section and even across different shapes of the cross-section. In this representation biaxial phases are found for large aspect ratios, while the low aspect ratio behavior can be compared to the hard cylinder phase diagram. For 3-prisms with a small base angle, we show the influence of the initial configuration; a polar initial configuration results in a (polar) splay nematic phase, whereas a non-polar initial configuration results in a biaxial phase.

Prediction of Proppant Settling Velocity in Fiber-Containing Fracturing Fluids

Hydraulic fracturing is the main stimulation method in the development of oil and gas fields. It is helpful to predict the fracture support effect during fracturing by calculating the settling velocity of particles in the fracturing fluid. Experimental research shows that fibers mixed into the fracturing fluid can improve the performance of suspended sand. In this study, fiber was considered a solvent in the fracturing fluid, and the constitutive model of the fiber-containing fracturing fluid was modified according to the fluid rheology. From the analysis of the mechanical behavior in the fiber-containing fluid, the settling velocity of particles slowed down because of some reasons. First, the viscosity of the fiber-containing fracturing fluid increased significantly. The other mechanism is the resistance mechanism of the fiber acting on the particle. The apparent viscosity was fitted based on the rheological model and the measurements. Then, the drag coefficient model of the settling particles was built according to the rheological data of the fibrous fluid. A semi-empirical model was developed to predict the terminal settling velocity through research on dynamics. By characteristic analysis of the results, we found that the fiber on the settling velocity is closely related to the concentration of the base fluid. This prediction model is suitable for the base fluid and fiber-containing fracturing fluid, and the average relative difference between the prediction model and measurements was acceptable.

Numerical Study on the Distribution of Rodlike Particles in Laminar Flows of Power Law Fluids Past a Cylinder

The contraction/expansion laminar flow containing rodlike particles in power-law fluid is studied numerically when the particles are in a dilute phase. The fluid velocity vector and streamline of flow are given at the finite Reynolds number (Re) region. The effects of Re, power index n and particle aspect ratio β on the spatial and orientation distributions of particles are analyzed. The results showed that for the shear-thickening fluid, particles are dispersed in the whole area in the contraction flow, while more particles are gathered near the two walls in the expansion flow. The spatial distribution of particles with small β is more regular. Β has a significant, n has a moderate, but Re has a small impact on the spatial distribution of particles in the contraction and expansion flow. In the case of large Re, most particles are oriented in the flow direction. The particles near the wall show obvious orientation along the flow direction. In shear-thickening fluid, when the flow changes from contraction to expansion, the orientation distribution of particles becomes more dispersed; while in shear-thinning fluid, the opposite is true. More particles orient to the flow direction in expansion flow than that in contraction flow. The particles with a large β tend to align with the flow direction more obviously. Re, n and β have great influence on the orientation distribution of particles in the contraction and expansion flow. Whether the particles initially located at the inlet can bypass the cylinder depends on the transverse position and initial orientation of the particles at the inlet. The number of particles with θ₀ = 90° bypassing the cylinder is the largest, followed by θ₀ = 45° and θ₀ = 0°. The conclusions obtained in this paper have reference value for practical engineering applications.

3D DEM Simulations and Experiments on Spherical Impactor Penetrating into the Elongated Particles

In this study, a brass or glass spherical impactor vertically penetrating into a granular bed composed of mono-sized spherical or elongated particles was simulated with three-dimensional (3D) discrete element method (DEM). Good agreement of the particle masses in the cup before and after penetration can be found in the simulations and experiments. The effects of particle length (L_p), friction coefficient, and particle configuration on the penetration depth of the impactor, ejecta mass, and solid volume fraction describing the response of the granular bed are discussed. The penetration depth is negatively correlated with L_p as the corresponding solid volume fraction of the granular bed decreases. A smaller friction coefficient leads to a larger penetration depth of the impactor and more ejection of particles. When the impactor is penetrating the L_p = 10 mm elongated particles, the penetration depth is negatively correlated to the order parameter and solid volume fraction.