Effect of Vibration On Characteristics of Granular Inclined Chute Flow Under Low-gravity

Prediction of the flow properties of granular materials is a major challenge in geophysics and industry. It is particularly important for planetary exploration to understand the effect of vibration on the flow characteristics of granular materials under low-gravity environments while there is still a deficiency in the very subject. In this paper, we apply discrete element numerical simulation method to obtain the parameters of granular flow (e.g., velocity, stress and volume fraction), and studies the effect of vibration on particle flow characteristics under low-gravity condition. The results indicate that the low-frequency vibration enhances the flow characteristics of the particles. The vibration enhances the granular flow by reducing the stress and volume fraction, and it exerts a greater effect on granular flow under low-gravity conditions than that under conventional ones.