Numerical Investigation of Jamming of Solid Particles in a Straight Pipe

The flow of fluids containing solid particles is numerically simulated in order to determine the critical parameters of the system leading to a jam. Two parameters are varied: the volumetric density of solid particles and the velocity of fluid flow. The energy dissipation in the system is due to dry friction losses and collisions. The results presented are based on the mathematical models of granular materials treated as multibody systems with variable topology. The fluid flow is considered to be potential. It is shown that jamming strongly depends on the volumetric density of particles and fluid velocity. The results of numerical experiments are in qualitative agreement with physical experiments of flow of spherical particles in a pipe.