Chain Fountain - Lever Effect

Source code available at: Under certain conditions when dropping one end of a well-arranged chain out of a container a phenomenon called chain fountain or Mould effect where the chain forms an arc or fountain upon leaving the container instead of being pulled directly over the edge can be observed [1-3]. The cause of this behavior is currently still subject to debate [4, 5], the two main proposals are a stiffness-based explanation and a momentum/inertia-based approach. The numerical simulation shown on the right illustrates the influence of the chains resistance to being bent. In order to fully understand the mechanism responsible for the so-called chain fountain or Mould effect the forces acting at the floor of the container have to be considered. Here, three types of chains with different combinations of transverse and longitudinal stiffness are compared. These two modes of stiffness are characterized by a resistance of the chain to being bent too sharply