Granular Flow Under Microgravity: A Preliminary Review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Granular Flow Under Microgravity

T2 - A Preliminary Review

AU - Huang, Yu

AU - Zhu, Chongqiang

AU - Xiang, Xiang

N1 - Funding Information: Acknowledgments This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41372355 and 41072202), the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (Grant No. NCET-11-0382) and the Key Laboratory of Microgravity, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Copyright: © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

PY - 2014/10

Y1 - 2014/10

N2 - The complex macroscopic rheological behavior of granular flow contains elements of both solid and liquid flow. Furthermore, under microgravity, granular flow exhibits novel flow features. To overcome a lack of comprehensive analyses of granular flow under microgravity, this study reviews the microgravity platforms and devices under which granular flow can be observed, the experimental findings made in such settings, and the range of numerical simulations that can be used to examine granular flow under microgravity. Differences in experimental research between normal gravity and microgravity are highlighted. These differences are found in the modifications made to conventional granular flow experimental devices, in new or unique granular flow behaviors, and in the numerical simulation methods needed for microgravity modeling. Additionally, the benefits of numerical simulation methods for examining rapid and dense flows under microgravity are also discussed. This study may have wide-ranging implications in such fields as investigations of the surface geology of asteroids or the efficient design and development of anchoring mechanisms or space vehicles.

AB - The complex macroscopic rheological behavior of granular flow contains elements of both solid and liquid flow. Furthermore, under microgravity, granular flow exhibits novel flow features. To overcome a lack of comprehensive analyses of granular flow under microgravity, this study reviews the microgravity platforms and devices under which granular flow can be observed, the experimental findings made in such settings, and the range of numerical simulations that can be used to examine granular flow under microgravity. Differences in experimental research between normal gravity and microgravity are highlighted. These differences are found in the modifications made to conventional granular flow experimental devices, in new or unique granular flow behaviors, and in the numerical simulation methods needed for microgravity modeling. Additionally, the benefits of numerical simulation methods for examining rapid and dense flows under microgravity are also discussed. This study may have wide-ranging implications in such fields as investigations of the surface geology of asteroids or the efficient design and development of anchoring mechanisms or space vehicles.

KW - Granular flow

KW - Microgravity

KW - Microstructure

KW - Phase transform

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84920056140

U2 - 10.1007/s12217-014-9391-z

DO - 10.1007/s12217-014-9391-z

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84920056140

SN - 0938-0108

VL - 26

SP - 131

EP - 138

JO - Microgravity Science and Technology

JF - Microgravity Science and Technology

IS - 2

ER -