Modelling a Dense Stream of Non-Cohesive Particles Impacting on an Inclined Plate
by
Graham J. Weir
Industrial Research Limited
Coauthors: Clive E. Davies, Peter N. McGavin

A thin sheet is formed when a coherent circular stream of small non-cohesive particles impacts onto a smooth inclined surface. The particles in the sheet appear to move down the plate parallel to the plate surface on paths which straighten to run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plate at points remote from the impact point. At the extremities of the sheet, particle paths collide, and the sheet thickens to form bounding wings. Interest in the post-impact behaviour of a falling particle stream was prompted by its potential use in mixing devices and in removing oversize material from bulk flows and this technology has now been patented. Experimental measurements carried over a range of conditions have provided information on the shape, structure and mass distribution in an impact fan. A mathematical model has been formulated and a comparison has been made with experimental data obtained by varying the plane inclination and the height and diameter of the particle source. The agreement between measured fan shapes and mass distributions and model predictions is good for fall heights greater than the stagnation height.

Date received: June 7, 1998