Localized fluidization in a granular medium: Parametric study with a physical model of “sand boiling”

Philippe, P. and Cuéllar, P. and Luu, L. and Mena, S. and Curtis, J. (2016) Localized fluidization in a granular medium: Parametric study with a physical model of “sand boiling”. In: ICSE 2016 (8th International Conference on Scour and Erosion), 12-15 September 2016, Oxford, UK.

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Abstract

The present study investigates steady-state localized fluidization within a granular bed by means of experiments on a physical model using a direct internal visualization by means of combined optical techniques. The experimental setup allows access to a broad range of control parameters with the purpose of extending previous findings on this specific configuration, in particular regarding the critical flow rate needed to generate a chimney fluidization. A saturation of this critical flow rate with bed height is and can be explained by a purely hydrodynamic effect related to the geometry and the permeability of the bed which rule together the development of the upward fluid flow through the initially static granular bed. A quantitative model based on CFD simulations is successfully developed in good agreement with the experimental findings.

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