From solid-like to floating: evolution of dense granular cluster in dissipation behavior

Granular materials used for vibration reduction often show dense granular clusters in engineering practice. Nevertheless, there are great differences in the damping effect between different dense granular clusters. In this work, discrete element simulations are performed to investigate the evolution of dense granular cluster in dissipation behavior by vertically vibrating a quasi-2D granular container with constant excitation frequency but different excitation amplitude, which reveals nine different granular motion patterns. Simulation results indicate that, with the increase of excitation amplitude, the internal configuration of dense granular cluster in granular container evolves gradually from static-disordered to dynamic-disordered and then dynamic-ordered, and finally becomes loose. The scope of high damping granular phases (HDGPs) is finalized based on the friction dissipation mechanism of granular balls in four dynamic-ordered dense granular clusters, where there may be reversible granular jamming transitions. The universal dynamical behavior of dense granular clusters in HDGPs is revealed, which contributes to obtaining the optimal granular damping effect by controlling the motion pattern of vibrated granular materials.

Graphical abstract