X-Ray Particle Tracking of Dense Particle Motion in a Vibration-Excited Granular Bed

The Brazil nut effect is a phenomenon in which large, dense objects migrate to the top of a bed of granular media when exposed to vibration. An example of this phenomenon is finding Brazil nuts on the top of a can of mixed nuts. The same phenomenon can be observed in almost any granular system, which includes numerous industrial processes. By understanding the Brazil nut effect, knowledge can be gained to create or prevent segregation within desired industrial processes. In this project, the Brazil nut problem is examined through the use of stereoscopic X-ray imaging. The stereoscopic images are analyzed with a particle tracking algorithm to quantify large particle motion in three dimensional space. Particle motion is quantified under a variety of operating conditions to both observe the particle motion and examine the accuracy of the particle tracking algorithm