Influence of Rolling Friction Coefficient on Inter-Particle Percolation in a Packed Bed by Discrete Element Method

Abstract

Rolling friction representing the energy dissipation mechanism with the elastic deformation at the contact point could act directly on particle percolation. The present investigation intends to elucidate the influence of rolling friction coefficient on inter-particle percolation in a packed bed by discrete element method (DEM). The results show that the vertical velocity of percolating particles decreases with increasing the rolling friction coefficient. With the increase of rolling friction coefficient, the transverse dispersion coefficient decreases, but the longitudinal dispersion coefficient increases. Packing height has a limited effect on the transverse and longitudinal dispersion coefficient. In addition, with the increase of size ratio of bed particles to percolation ones, the percolation velocity increases. The transverse dispersion coefficient increases with the size ratio before D/d<14. And it would keep constant when the size ratio is greater than 14. The longitudinal dispersion coefficient decreases when the size ratio increases up to D/d=14, then increases with the increase of the size ratio. External forces affect the percolation behaviours. Increasing the magnitude of the upward force (e.g. from a gas stream) reduces the percolation velocity, and decreases the dispersion coefficient.