Reduction of clogging of vibrated grains passing through a narrow aperture by the addition of low-friction particles.

Abstract

We study the flow of grains under vibration passing through a small aperture in two dimensions using discrete element method simulations. Such systems are prone to clogging and strategies to ease the flow are desirable in multiple applications. We show that the addition of low-friction particles to the system can reduce clogging and lead to an enhancement of the net flux of the original species. Along with the role of the particle friction, we analyze the influence of both the size of the added particles and the mixing ratio. We consider systems with constant height of the granular column (using particle reinjection) as well as processes of fully emptying the containing hopper.