The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	Experimental study of the rise of a large sphere in a vibrated bed of monodisperse spheres
Author:	Vanel, Loic
View Online:	njit-etd1997-101 (x, 71 pages ~ 3.5 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Mechanical Engineering
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Mechanical Engineering
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Rosato, Anthony D. (Committee chair) Dave, Rajesh N. (Committee member) Singh, Pushpendra (Committee member)
Date:	1997-01
Keywords:	Granular materials. Mechanical engineering. Fluid dynamics.
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	As a simplified way to study size segregation mechanisms, the rise of a single large sphere in a vibrated bed of smaller monodisperse spheres is investigated. The time it takes for the ball to rise from the bottom of the bed to the surface is measured in a very wide range of vibration amplitude, frequency and acceleration. Rise regimes are identified and are classified according to the macroscopic behaviors displayed by the granular bed: heaping, convection without heaping and crystallization. The influence of the large sphere's size on the rise velocity is described. The scaling features of the vibration amplitude dimensioned by the diameter of the bed particles are presented. A tracking technique has been used to follow the three-dimensional motion of the large sphere inside the bed. Trajectories corresponding to various vibrational states of the granular bed are described. Possible adaptations of the tracking technique are suggested.