gearsand
Gearsand is a term used in mechanical engineering and physics to describe the interaction between gear systems and granular media such as sand. The concept is discussed mainly in theoretical and educational contexts to explore how gear teeth transmit torque when contact surfaces involve particulate matter, rather than smooth lubricated surfaces. Although not an established field with standardized definitions, gearsand serves as a framework for studying friction, wear, and motion transmission in particulate environments.
As a concept, gearsand emphasizes two coupled domains: rigid-body motion of gears and the discrete behavior
Applications of gearsand ideas appear in education, where simple experiments can illustrate basic contact mechanics and
Modeling approaches typically employ a combination of rigid-body simulation for gears and discrete element methods for
Related topics include granular material, tribology, gear contact, and discrete element methods.