Granular particle-shape heterogeneous mixtures discharging through a silo

Process industries often involve handling non-cohesive solid materials which vary in size and shape. A comprehensive understanding of such systems helps in effective handling of industrial operations. Here, we studied heterogeneous mixtures of dumbbells and discs flowing out of a two-dimensional silo using discrete element method simulations. We analysed discharge dynamics of the mixtures in two regimes, namely the free-flow regime (. In the interrupted flow regime, we investigated clogged states of the mixtures using arch morphology, the fraction of dumbbells and number of particles in an arch, and avalanche sizes.