Granular convection

Granular convection is circulation within a bed of grains driven by vibration or shaking. It can transport larger particles upward, contributing to size segregation.

Granular material: A collection of discrete solid particles whose bulk behavior differs from that of ordinary solids and fluids. Granular convection is a collective flow pattern in this broader class of materials.
Granular flow: The motion of collections of solid particles under gravity, applied forces, or imposed motion. Convection is a particular organized flow within a granular bed.
Vibratory conveyor: A machine that transports bulk materials by applying controlled vibration to a conveying surface. Its motion can induce internal circulation and unintended size sorting.
Percolation segregation: Particle sorting caused when smaller grains move through gaps between larger grains under motion. It can lift large grains without requiring a circulating flow across the whole bed.
Granular temperature: A measure of the random kinetic energy of particles in a granular flow. Vibration injects particle motion, though this measure does not capture the organized circulation itself.
Vibrated granular bed: A layer of grains subjected to periodic shaking or vibration. This is the setting in which vibration-driven circulation and size segregation commonly occur.
Powder mixing: The blending of dry particulate materials to distribute their components throughout a mixture. Convection can aid redistribution but may also promote segregation.
Diffusion model of granular segregation: A continuum description of granular sorting that represents remixing as diffusion and size-dependent drift as a flux. It models segregation fluxes rather than treating bulk circulation as the sole cause.
Granular segregation: The separation of particles in a granular mixture according to properties such as size, density, or shape. Convection can carry large grains upward while other mechanisms sort particles within the bed.
Granular size segregation: The separation of grains of different sizes within a flowing or vibrated granular mixture. Convection often contributes to this specific form of sorting.

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AntlionRelated: Antlion larvae flick sand to trigger grain avalanches that dislodge prey.