ABSTRACT
A lattice grain model (LGrM) is based upon the use of a cellular automaton (CA). A CA is a logical device, formed by a large set of elements lying on a regular lattice, which processes local interactions between elements accord ing to a very simple and repetitive rule. Mechanical applications of CAs were first used in the hydrodynamics field with the lattice gas models. For a few years, some two-dimensional applications to granular flow have been developed by Baxter and Behringer (1990,1991), Gutt and Haff (1990), Fitt and Wilmott (1992), Savage (1993), Peng and Herrmann (1994), Deserable, Martinez and Masson (1994), Martinez, Masson and Deserable (1995) and Masson (1996).
