Wave propagation in granular material using high gradient theory
- Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States)
The propagation of wave in granular material is analyzed treating granular materials as a high gradient continuum. The constitutive coefficients of the high gradient continuum are expressed in explicit functions of inter-particle stiffness. In contrast to the classical continuum, the high gradient terms represent the internal characteristic length of granular materials. With the high gradient model, we solve the wave propagation in a finite strip of granular material using the method of separation of variables, in which the orthogonal eigenfunctions can be obtained from the boundary conditions. The short waves with lengths less than about two times of the particle diameter can not propagate through the granular material due to the discrete nature of the granular material. The solution derived from the high gradient theory consists of a series of harmonic waves. The present numerical results show that, due to the nonlinear dispersion of wave in granular medium, the peak value of the stress wave will decay during wave propagating. A series smaller extension and compression stress waves will emerge after the main stress wave passes through. The predicted phenomena are qualitatively in agreement with the simulation results from discrete element methods and with the experimental observations from a chain of photo-elastic disks subjected to a impact load.
- OSTI ID:
- 175325
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950686--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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