Systems of nonlinear partial differential equations appear in continuum descriptions of the flow of granular materials. Properties of these equations that have important consequences for the deformation of materials include: wave propagation, the formation of shock waves, loss of hyperbolicity (leading to material failure), nonlinear stabilization. Specific applications studied include the deformation of granular materials, the flow of granular materials in hoppers, dynamic shearing of granular materials.

The basic approach is the use of mathematical analysis and scientific computation to understand the properties of granular materials, motivated by specific applications, and by physical experiments.

Industrial problems being studied concern the transition between funnel flow and mass flow, an important indicator of dangerous instabilities in the flow of granular materials in hoppers, and the design and positioning of flow corrective inserts in funnel flow hoppers.

CRSC researchers on this project include P. A. Gremaud and M. Shearer.