Microdynamic analysis of solid flow in a shear cell

Granular flow in a model shear cell under conditions relevant to those in an annular cell is investigated based on the results obtained by means of the discrete element method. The spatial and statistical distributions of microdynamic variables such as velocity, porosity, coordination number and contact force are established, and the dependence of these variables on some key physical and operational parameters of particles and the cell is studied. It is shown that the normal pressure, shear velocity of the cell, particle friction coefficient and rolling friction coefficient have noticeable influences on these microdynamic variables. However, the effects of wall friction coefficient and damping coefficient are negligible. There is a linear relationship between overall coordination number and packing density, when the coordination number ranges between 5 and 6.5. The deviation from the relation derives from the cases where the normal pressure is varied as a result of the significant change in the normal contact forces between particles.