Applying the Discrete Element Method in Process Engineering

Theuerkauf, Joerg; Dhodapkar, Shrikant; Manjunath, K.; Jacob, Karl; Steinmetz, Tilmann

doi:10.1002/ceat.200390023

Cited by 14 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The shear simulations showed that increasing both the particle contact stiffness and static friction coefficient increased the bulk internal friction angle due to the interlocking phenomenon, which also was acknowledged by Cleary (2008) due to the higher number of contacts with neighbouring non‐spherical particles. Härtl and Ooi (2008) and Theuerkauf et al (2003) also observed that the bulk internal friction is related in a non‐linear manner to the particle friction coefficient.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Discrete element simulations of granular pile formation

Grima

Wypych

2011

Engineering Computations

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine several calibration techniques that have been developed to determine the discrete element method (DEM) parameters for slow and rapid unconfined flow of granular conical pile formation. This paper also aims to discuss some of the methods currently employed to scale particle properties to reduce computational resources and time to solve large DEM models.Design/methodology/approachDEM models have been calibrated against simple bench‐scale experimental results to examine the validity of selected parameters for the contact, material and mechanical models to simulate the dynamic and static behaviour of cohesionless polyethylene pellets. Methods to determine quantifiable single particle parameters such as static friction and the coefficient of restitution have been highlighted. Numerical and experimental granular pile formation has been investigated using different slumping and pouring techniques to examine the dependency of the type of flow mechanism on the DEM parameters.FindingsThe proposed methods can provide cost effective and simple techniques to determine suitable input parameters for DEM models. Rolling friction and particle shape representation has shown to have a significant influence on the bulk flow characteristics via a sensitivity analysis and needs to be accessed based on the environmental conditions.Originality/valueThis paper describes several effective known and novel methodologies to characterise granular materials that are needed to accurately model granular flow using the DEM to provide valuable quantitative data. For the DEM to be a viable predictive tool in industrial applications which often contain huge quantities of particles with random particle shapes and irregular properties, quick and validated techniques to “tune” DEM models are necessary.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Discrete element simulations of granular pile formation

Grima

Wypych

2011

Engineering Computations

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“…Compared with continuum methods, the advantage of our DEM modeling is that crack propagation and coalescence during the pull‐apart basin development can be directly observed based on fracture mechanical theory with explicit consideration of material separation. The present study uses the two‐dimensional Particle Flow Code (PFC 2D ) (Itasca, ), which is widely used in engineering (e.g., Theuerkauf et al, ), as well as soil and rock mechanics (e.g., Ding et al, ; Groh et al, ; Potyondy & Cundall, ; Sarfarazi et al, ; Stahl & Konietzky, ; Ting et al, ; Wang et al, ). It has also been successfully used to simulate geologic problems (e.g., Chu et al, ; Lee et al, ) and tectonic processes such as the growth and interaction of faults and the formation of related structures (e.g., Imber et al, ; Peacock & Xing, ; Schöpfer et al, , , ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Particle‐Based Modeling of Pull‐Apart Basin Development

Liu

Konietzky

2018

Tectonics

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A scale‐independent modeling approach based on the discrete element method has been established to investigate the development of pull‐apart basins. The main findings can be summarized as follows. Thirty degree underlapping models produce pull‐apart basins that evolve from spindle‐shaped through lazy‐Z‐shaped to rhomboidal and stretched rhomboidal basin. Ninety degree nonoverlapping and 150° overlapping models generate rhomboidal pull‐apart basins without going through spindle‐shaped and lazy‐Z‐shaped stages. The shape of a pull‐apart basin is the consequence of both the initial strike‐slip fault geometry and its various evolution stages. Rhomboidal basins, which have larger basin length than the amount of motion, form in overlapping systems and do not progress through the spindle‐shaped and lazy‐Z‐shaped stages such as the Dead Sea basin. Rhomboidal basins with cross‐basin faults tend to form in underlapping systems. All the numerical models show nearly the same trend for maximum principal stress versus relative extension εx* (horizontal opening divided by fault separation). Peak stress and onset of crack propagation are observed for εx* of ~0.035. The relative extension to form the first depression is ~0.155. Therefore, for a pull‐apart to form in nature, the displacement and time needed to form the first cracks and depression area can be estimated from the corresponding εx* and the slip rate of the strike‐slip faults. The time needed to form the first depression can be considered as the minimum age of initiation for the pull‐apart basin. This method to deduce the starting age of pull‐apart basin development can be used for basins which are still active.

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“…The elements interact with each other via a force displacement law and can be of arbitrary shape, rectangular blocks and spheres being the most common ones. Applications range from mining and engineering [ Theuerkauf et al , 2003] to seismicity [ Toomey and Bean , 2000] to soil and rock mechanics [ Hart , 2003]. Recently, the DEM has also been used to model tectonic processes such as the formation of shear zones and deformation bands [ Antonellini and Pollard , 1995; Mora and Place , 1998; Morgan and Boettcher , 1999], displacement transfer and linkage of preexisting faults [ Walsh et al , 2001; Imber et al , 2004], and failure in brittle rock on a small scale [ Donzé et al , 1994; Hazzard et al , 2000] and on a large scale [ Saltzer and Pollard , 1992; Burbidge and Braun , 2002; Strayer and Suppe , 2002; Finch et al , 2003, 2004; Strayer et al , 2004; Cardozo et al , 2005; Seyferth and Henk , 2006].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Two‐dimensional distinct element modeling of the structure and growth of normal faults in multilayer sequences: 1. Model calibration, boundary conditions, and selected results

Schöpfer¹,

Childs²,

Walsh³

2007

J. Geophys. Res.

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[1] The distinct element method is used for modeling the growth of normal faults in layered sequences. The models consist of circular particles that can be bonded together with breakable cement. Size effects of the model mechanical properties were studied for a constant average particle size and various sample widths. The study revealed that the bulk strength of the model material decreases with increasing sample size. Consequently, numerical lab tests and the associated construction of failure envelopes were performed for the specific layer width to particle diameter ratios used in the multilayer models. The normal faulting models are composed of strong layers (bonded particles) and weak layers (nonbonded particles) that are deformed in response to movement on a predefined fault at the base of the sequence. The modeling reproduces many of the geometries observed in natural faults, including (1) changes in fault dip due to different modes of failure in the strong and weak layers, (2) fault bifurcation (splaying), (3) the flexure of strong layers and the rotation of associated blocks to form normal drag, and (4) the progressive linkage of fault segments. The model fault zone geometries and their growth are compared to natural faults from Kilve foreshore (Somerset, United Kingdom). Both the model and natural faults provide support for the well-known general trend that fault zone width increases with increasing displacement.Citation: Schöpfer, M. P. J., C. Childs, and J. J. Walsh (2007), Two-dimensional distinct element modeling of the structure and growth of normal faults in multilayer sequences: 1. Model calibration, boundary conditions, and selected results,

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Applying the Discrete Element Method in Process Engineering

Cited by 14 publications

References 6 publications

Discrete element simulations of granular pile formation

Discrete element simulations of granular pile formation

Particle‐Based Modeling of Pull‐Apart Basin Development

Two‐dimensional distinct element modeling of the structure and growth of normal faults in multilayer sequences: 1. Model calibration, boundary conditions, and selected results

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