Course description
In this course we introduce some of the general concepts for the analysis of granular matter in its static, quasi-static and dynamic states. The multiscale nature of these materials is discussed, from the interactions between particles to the behavior of a representative elementary volume. Additionally, the different tools that allow describing these materials from the micromechanical point of view are presented. The final part of the course is a simulation workshop with Discrete Element Methods, in which students will design and conduct several numerical experiments oriented to solve different current research questions using the LMGC90 tool. The course is ideal for people interested in understanding granular materials from a micromechanical point of view. It is a particularly useful course for people interested engineering processes involving particulate materials.
This course is given during the first semester in the Master (M2) of Mechanics of the Faculty of Sciences in Montpellier for a total of 42h. It is also open to PhD students in Mechanics as well as in Civil Engineering, Physics or also in Geosciences and in general terms to all students/researcher interested in systems composed of many particles.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the student is expected to be able to:
- recognize and understand the importance of granular materials in various technological contexts such as geotechnical engineering and process engineering,
- observe, interpret and describe the mechanical behavior of systems composed of granular materials at different scales; and
- use the LMGC90 platform as a tool for simulation of granular systems using discrete element methods.
Program
- Introduction and generalities
- Particle scale interactions
- Granular solids
- Quasi-static behavior
- Granular microstructure and micromechanics
- Granular flows
- Numerical methods (DEM)
- Introduction to LMGC90
- Numerical simulation workshop