Résumé
In this work, we present experimental and numerical results on the interaction between two localized fluidization cavities in an immersed granular packing. According to the gap between the two locally injected upward fluid flows, each fluidized cavity will evolve independently of the another, or conversely, the two cavities can interact with each other: they merge and eventually behave like a single cavity. Combined optical techniques are used for visualization of particle motion inside the granular media (refractive index-matching between liquid and beads and planar laser-induced fluorescence), the experimental results are compared to a two-dimensional simulation based on coupled Discrete Element and Lattice Boltzmann Methods (DEM-LBM).