MEchanics GAthering -MEGA- Seminar: Micro-structural modeling of steady granular flow and non-equilibrium urban traffic.
Event details
| Date | 21.11.2024 |
| Hour | 16:15 › 17:05 |
| Speaker | Jacopo Bilotto (LSMS, EPFL), Georg Anagnostopoulos (LUTS, EPFL) |
| Location | Online |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
| Event Language | English |
Abstract: Urban traffic dynamics and granular flow share several commonalities and can be modeled by taking into account each individual vehicle or grain.
The first part of the seminar focusses on granular flows of elongated particles. Non-spherical particles play a crucial role in industrial and geological flows, yet a full description of their rheology depending on the inertial number, the microscopic friction coefficient and elongation is still lacking. In this work, we investigate the influence of particle shape, using ellipsoidal particles as the simplest non-spherical model to study the effects of elongation in comparison to isotropic spherical particles. A variety of rheological quantities are analyzed within
the framework of the μ(I) rheology, alongside microstructural and contact level information.
The second part of the seminar addresses urban traffic. In cities around the world, the widespread adoption of both formal and informal micromobility services has intensified competition among different vehicle types for limited road space. This study investigates the impact of parasitic, lane-free flows on predominantly lane-based urban traffic systems. Using a nonequilibrium model, we explain the large variability observed in recent experimental data by considering the nonlinear and stochastic perturbations inherent in multispecies traffic configurations. We also demonstrate that, under certain traffic conditions, flow separation occurs, leading to the formation of distinct traffic streams for different vehicle types.
Bio: Jacopo Bilotto is a second year PhD student at the Computational Solid Mechanics Laboratory (LSMS). Prior to starting his PhD he earned a Master's in Mechanical engineering from Sapienza University of Rome. His research interest include the the mechanics of granular materials and the coupling between lubrication and solid structures.
Georg Anagnostopoulos is a PhD candidate at the Urban Transport Systems Laboratory (LUTS). After earning his Master’s in Architecture and Information from ETH Zürich, he spent five years working across three industries before choosing to pursue an academic career. His research revisits traffic flow theory from a nonequilibrium perspective, utilizing advanced numerical techniques and custom simulation software. The goal is to understand and characterize the collective dynamics of multispecies vehicular crowds, drawing inspiration from recent experiments involving drone videography.
The first part of the seminar focusses on granular flows of elongated particles. Non-spherical particles play a crucial role in industrial and geological flows, yet a full description of their rheology depending on the inertial number, the microscopic friction coefficient and elongation is still lacking. In this work, we investigate the influence of particle shape, using ellipsoidal particles as the simplest non-spherical model to study the effects of elongation in comparison to isotropic spherical particles. A variety of rheological quantities are analyzed within
the framework of the μ(I) rheology, alongside microstructural and contact level information.
The second part of the seminar addresses urban traffic. In cities around the world, the widespread adoption of both formal and informal micromobility services has intensified competition among different vehicle types for limited road space. This study investigates the impact of parasitic, lane-free flows on predominantly lane-based urban traffic systems. Using a nonequilibrium model, we explain the large variability observed in recent experimental data by considering the nonlinear and stochastic perturbations inherent in multispecies traffic configurations. We also demonstrate that, under certain traffic conditions, flow separation occurs, leading to the formation of distinct traffic streams for different vehicle types.
Bio: Jacopo Bilotto is a second year PhD student at the Computational Solid Mechanics Laboratory (LSMS). Prior to starting his PhD he earned a Master's in Mechanical engineering from Sapienza University of Rome. His research interest include the the mechanics of granular materials and the coupling between lubrication and solid structures.
Georg Anagnostopoulos is a PhD candidate at the Urban Transport Systems Laboratory (LUTS). After earning his Master’s in Architecture and Information from ETH Zürich, he spent five years working across three industries before choosing to pursue an academic career. His research revisits traffic flow theory from a nonequilibrium perspective, utilizing advanced numerical techniques and custom simulation software. The goal is to understand and characterize the collective dynamics of multispecies vehicular crowds, drawing inspiration from recent experiments involving drone videography.
Practical information
- General public
- Free
Organizer
- MEGA.Seminar Organizing Committee