The revised Enskog theory for inelastic hard spheres is considered as a model for rapid flow granular media at finite densities. A normal solution is obtained via the Chapman-Enskog method for states near the local homogeneous cooling state. The analysis is performed to first order in the spatial gradients, allowing identification of the Navier-Stokes order transport coefficients associated with the heat and momentum fluxes. In addition, the cooling rate is calculated to first order in the gradients and expressed in terms of the transport coefficients. The transport coefficients are determined from linear integral equations analogous to those for elastic collisions. The solubility conditions for these equations are confirmed and the transport coefficients are calculated as explicit functions of the density and restitution coefficient using a Sonine polynomial expansion. The results are not limited to small dissipation. Finally, the analysis is repeated using a simpler kinetic model. Excellent agreement is obtained with the results from the revised Enskog equation.

The homogeneous cooling state for a binary mixture of inelastic hard spheres is studied using the Enskog kinetic theory. In the same way as for the one-component fluid, we propose a scaling solution in which the time dependence of the distribution functions occurs entirely through the temperature of the mixture. A surprising result is that the (partial) temperatures of each species are different, although their cooling rates are the same. Approximate forms for the distribution functions are constructed to leading order in a Sonine polynomial expansion showing a small deviation from Maxwellian, similar to that for the one-component case. The temperatures and overall cooling rate are calculated in terms of the restitution coefficients, the reduced density, and the ratios of mass, concentration, and sizes.

A hydrodynamic description for an $s$-component mixture of inelastic, smooth hard disks (two dimensions) or spheres (three dimensions) is derived based on the revised Enskog theory for the single-particle velocity distribution functions. In this first part of the two-part series, the macroscopic balance equations for mass, momentum, and energy are derived. Constitutive equations are calculated from exact expressions for the fluxes by a Chapman-Enskog expansion carried out to first order in spatial gradients, thereby resulting in a Navier-Stokes order theory. Within this context of small gradients, the theory is applicable to a wide range of restitution coefficients and densities. The resulting integral-differential equations for the zeroth- and first-order approximations of the distribution functions are given in exact form. An approximate solution to these equations is required for practical purposes in order to cast the constitutive quantities as algebraic functions of the macroscopic variables; this task is described in the companion paper.

The Enskog kinetic theory is used as a starting point to model a suspension of solid particles in a viscous gas. Unlike previous efforts for similar suspensions, the gas-phase contribution to the instantaneous particle acceleration appearing in the Enskog equation is modelled using a Langevin equation, which can be applied to a wide parameter space (e.g. high Reynolds number). Attention here is limited to low Reynolds number flow, however, in order to assess the influence of the gas phase on the constitutive relations, which was assumed to be negligible in a previous analytical treatment. The Chapman–Enskog method is used to derive the constitutive relations needed for the conservation of mass, momentum and granular energy. The results indicate that the Langevin model for instantaneous gas–solid force matches the form of the previous analytical treatment, indicating the promise of this method for regions of the parameter space outside of those attainable by analytical methods (e.g. higher Reynolds number). The results also indicate that the effect of the gas phase on the constitutive relations for the solid-phase shear viscosity and Dufour coefficient is non-negligible, particularly in relatively dilute systems. Moreover, unlike their granular (no gas phase) counterparts, the shear viscosity in gas–solid systems is found to be zero in the dilute limit and the Dufour coefficient is found to be non-zero in the elastic limit.

Hydrodynamic equations for a binary mixture of inelastic hard spheres are derived from the Boltzmann kinetic theory. A normal solution is obtained via the Chapman–Enskog method for states near the local homogeneous cooling state. The mass, heat, and momentum fluxes are determined to first order in the spatial gradients of the hydrodynamic fields, and the associated transport coefficients are identified. In the same way as for binary mixtures with elastic collisions, these coefficients are determined from a set of coupled linear integral equations. Practical evaluation is possible using a Sonine polynomial approximation, and is illustrated here by explicit calculation of the relevant transport coefficients: the mutual diffusion, the pressure diffusion, the thermal diffusion, the shear viscosity, the Dufour coefficient, the thermal conductivity, and the pressure energy coefficient. All these coefficients are given in terms of the restitution coefficients and the ratios of mass, concentration, and particle sizes. Interesting and new effects arise from the fact that the reference states for the two components have different partial temperatures, leading to additional dependencies of the transport coefficients on the concentration. The results hold for arbitrary degree of inelasticity and are not limited to specific values of the parameters of the mixture. Applications of this theory will be discussed in subsequent papers.

An isolated mixture of smooth, inelastic hard spheres supports a homogeneous cooling state with different kinetic temperatures for each species. This phenomenon is explored here by molecular dynamics simulation of a two component fluid, with comparison to predictions of the Enskog kinetic theory. The ratio of kinetic temperatures is studied for two values of the restitution coefficient alpha=0.95 and 0.80, as a function of mass ratio, size ratio, composition, and density. Good agreement between theory and simulation is found for the lower densities and higher restitution coefficient; significant disagreement is observed otherwise. The phenomenon of different temperatures is also discussed for driven systems, as occurs in recent experiments. Differences between the freely cooling state and driven steady states are illustrated.