Lubrication with granular flow: Continuum theory, particle simulations, comparison with experiment

Studies of particle flows have followed three parallel paths: (1) experiment, (2) analysis based on the assumption of a continuum, and (3) direct particle simulation. In this paper, we perform continuum and particle analyses and compare them to each other, and to previously reported experiments. Both the particle simulations and the continuum model over-predict the experimental normal load and shear force, however, the trends and orders-of-magnitude are in agreement. The modeling approaches are based on first principles, and do not rely. on curve fitting to obtain effective properties of the mixture such as viscosity or conductivity.