Evolution of pore structure and flow properties in particle segregation

Dai, S; Shan, F; Xiong, H; Zhang, S; He, X; Sheng, D

Evolution of pore structure and flow properties in particle segregation

Dai, S

Shan, F

Xiong, H Zhang, S He, X

Sheng, D

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Publisher:: ELSEVIER
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Hydrology, 2025, 652
Issue Date:: 2025-05-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Dai, S https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8543-1448
dc.contributor.author	Shan, F https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7497-6768
dc.contributor.author	Xiong, H
dc.contributor.author	Zhang, S
dc.contributor.author	He, X https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5336-3663
dc.contributor.author	Sheng, D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1665-6931
dc.date.accessioned	2025-07-16T05:22:55Z
dc.date.available	2025-07-16T05:22:55Z
dc.date.issued	2025-05-01
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Hydrology, 2025, 652
dc.identifier.issn	0022-1694
dc.identifier.issn	1879-2707
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/188450
dc.description.abstract	The Brazil Nut Effect is widely observed in both everyday life and industrial processes. Although extensive research on segregation behaviour, the resulting changes in pore structure and flow properties remain inadequately explored. During particle segregation, the granular system evolves continuously, forming a complex porous media. Understanding the impact of this evolving porous media on fluid transport is crucial across various disciplines. In this study, the Discrete Element Method (DEM) is proposed to analyse the segregation process of granular materials, and the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) is employed to investigate the influence of segregation on macroscopic and microscopic flow properties. The results indicate that particle segregation initially develops rapidly and gradually stabilises, with the evolving contact information illustrating the anisotropy of the granular system. Energy analysis reveals that segregation primarily occurs when the granular material contacts the base. Pore structure analysis shows that pore diameters follow a lognormal distribution, while throat diameters exhibit a bimodal distribution, and sphericity displays a trimodal distribution. As the degree of segregation increases, the top layer experiences a rise in large particles, resulting in higher sphericity and a reduction in pore spaces. Conversely, in the bottom layer, the aggregation of small particles results in lower sphericity and a greater number of pores. Particle segregation induces anisotropic behaviour in the permeability of porous media, with a significant increase in the horizontal direction and a slight decrease in the vertical direction. The tortuosity of the porous media decreases noticeably in the horizontal direction, while exhibiting minimal variation in the vertical direction. These findings underscore the influence of segregation on the pore structure and flow properties of porous media, highlighting the necessity of understanding particle segregation in granular mechanics.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	ELSEVIER
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE220100763
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP230100678
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Hydrology
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.132651
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.classification	Environmental Engineering
dc.title	Evolution of pore structure and flow properties in particle segregation
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	652
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/Transport Research Centre (TRC)
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/Centre for Advanced Modelling and Geospatial lnformation Systems (CAMGIS)
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2025-07-16T05:22:44Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	652

Abstract:

The Brazil Nut Effect is widely observed in both everyday life and industrial processes. Although extensive research on segregation behaviour, the resulting changes in pore structure and flow properties remain inadequately explored. During particle segregation, the granular system evolves continuously, forming a complex porous media. Understanding the impact of this evolving porous media on fluid transport is crucial across various disciplines. In this study, the Discrete Element Method (DEM) is proposed to analyse the segregation process of granular materials, and the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) is employed to investigate the influence of segregation on macroscopic and microscopic flow properties. The results indicate that particle segregation initially develops rapidly and gradually stabilises, with the evolving contact information illustrating the anisotropy of the granular system. Energy analysis reveals that segregation primarily occurs when the granular material contacts the base. Pore structure analysis shows that pore diameters follow a lognormal distribution, while throat diameters exhibit a bimodal distribution, and sphericity displays a trimodal distribution. As the degree of segregation increases, the top layer experiences a rise in large particles, resulting in higher sphericity and a reduction in pore spaces. Conversely, in the bottom layer, the aggregation of small particles results in lower sphericity and a greater number of pores. Particle segregation induces anisotropic behaviour in the permeability of porous media, with a significant increase in the horizontal direction and a slight decrease in the vertical direction. The tortuosity of the porous media decreases noticeably in the horizontal direction, while exhibiting minimal variation in the vertical direction. These findings underscore the influence of segregation on the pore structure and flow properties of porous media, highlighting the necessity of understanding particle segregation in granular mechanics.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/188450