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Silo Clogging Reduction by the Presence of an Obstacle

Iker Zuriguel, Alvaro Janda, Angel Garcimartín, Celia Lozano, Roberto Arévalo, and Diego Maza
Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 278001 – Published 29 December 2011
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Abstract

We present experimental results on the effect that inserting an obstacle just above the outlet of a silo has on the clogging process. We find that, if the obstacle position is properly selected, the probability that the granular flow is arrested can be reduced by a factor of 100. This dramatic effect occurs without any remarkable modification of the flow rate or the packing fraction above the outlet, which are discarded as the cause of the change in the clogging probability. Hence, inspired by previous results of pedestrian crowd dynamics, we propose that the physical mechanism behind the clogging reduction is a pressure decrease in the region of arch formation.

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  • Received 27 July 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.278001

© 2011 American Physical Society

Synopsis

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Even Flow

Published 29 December 2011

An obstacle at the exit of a silo relieves local pressure, aiding the flow of small particles that might otherwise clog.

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Authors & Affiliations

Iker Zuriguel*, Alvaro Janda, Angel Garcimartín, Celia Lozano, Roberto Arévalo, and Diego Maza

  • Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Navarra, 31080 Pamplona, Spain

  • *iker@fisica.unav.es

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Issue

Vol. 107, Iss. 27 — 30 December 2011

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