| Issue |
EPJ Web Conf.
Volume 347, 2026
2025 SAIMechE Central Branch Conference on Mechanical Engineering and Related Disciplines (SCMERD 2025)
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | 01005 | |
| Number of page(s) | 7 | |
| Section | Thermofluids and Heat Transfer | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202634701005 | |
| Published online | 14 January 2026 | |
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202634701005
Experimental Study of Granular Material Flowability in a Heat Exchanger
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering Science, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
2 DryTech International, Johannesburg, South Africa
* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published online: 14 January 2026
This paper presents an experimental investigation of granular material flowability in a heat exchanger. Spherical silicon particles are used as the granular materials in this study. The velocity profile created shows uneven particle velocity where particles towards the outlet flow faster with the velocity reaching 9.09 mm/s and the particles close to the wall flow slower with the velocity reaching 1.63 mm/s. Compared to the Carr classification of flowability proposed in the literature, the angle of repose obtained through the experiment, which is 15°, suggests that the particles are very free flowing. This is supported by the coefficient of rolling resistance which has been obtained as 0.001, suggesting that these particles have a lower rolling friction resistance, leading to a more efficient movement. Moreover, the mass flowrate implies that 140.85 grams of particles flow out per second. These findings suggest that particle size, outlet size, friction factors and the space between the heating elements and the walls affect the flowability of particles in the heat exchanger.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2026
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