A DEM analysis of particle climbing in a vibrating pipe

Abstract

Recent experiments have shown that when a vertical pipe is inserted into a box filled with granular material and is then set into vertical vibration, the particles may undergo climbing motion along the pipe. However, this phenomenon, which may provide efficient means for transportation of particulates in industrial applications, is still poorly understood. Therefore, here we describe a computational study of particle climbing in a vibrating pipe inserted into a static granular box using the discrete element method (DEM). We reproduce the process of particle climbing, and give the evolution of particle climbing height with time, the motion of individual particles with different initial positions, and the void filling effect of the particles from the silo into the pipe. Based on this, the mechanisms underlying the particle climbing are analyzed.