Plug flow formation and growth in da Vinci Fluids

Abstract

A new, da Vinci, fluid is described as a model for flow of dense granular matter. We postulate local properties of the fluid, which are generically different from ordinary fluids in that energy is dissipated by solid friction. We present the equation of flow of such a fluid and show that it gives rise to formation and growth of plug flow regions, which is characteristic of flow of granular matter. Simple explicit examples are presented to illustrate the evolution of plug flow regions.