Project Assistant/Project Associate positions open
Though granular materials, such as food grains, catalyst pellets and pharmaceutical powders are handled in huge quantities in industry, a comprehensive theory that described their flow is yet unknown. This project involves the experimental study of the rheology (i.e. the relation between stress and strain rate) of dense granular materials. The project will start with the investigation of granular materials comprising coarse, non-cohesive particles, and then move on to cohesive particles. The latter is of great interest to the pharmaceutical and petroleum industries. This project requires a good understanding of basic fluid mechanics, and interest in experimentation.
The rheology of dense granular materials
If you are interested in any of the projects described below, please write to me for further details.
The dramatic increase in computing speed in recent years has made it possible to solve nearly exactly many problems in particle and multiphase flow without requiring a continuum constitutive model. Though formulation of robust and accurate constitutive models is desirable, it is often difficult due to the complex interactions and structure at the microscopic scale. We propose to solve two classes of problems -- dry granular flows, and suspensions of particles in viscous fluids. Particle-level computational models are available for both these systems, which we hope to use to solve problems of practical utility, and also obtain a fundamental understanding of their micromechanics. Further, we hope to use the results of the computations to develop robust constitutive models. This project requires good programming and computing skills and strong interest in fluid mechanics.
Computational studies of granular and suspension flows.