Local Percolation of a Binary Particle Mixture in a Rectangular Hopper with Inclined Bottom during Discharging

Abstract

To reveal the local percolation characteristics of a binary particle mixture in a rectangular hopper with inclined bottom, the discrete element method (DEM) is used to simulate the discharging process. A local percolation evaluation method is proposed, and the percolation strength grid maps are drawn. The effects of geometric parameters, particle properties, and interaction parameters on percolation are investigated. Apart from the free surface, percolation is mainly concentrated near the wall and at the bottom. With the increase in the orifice width, the average local percolation strength index (ALPSI) of the near-wall region increases and that of the bottom region decreases. The effect of the angle on percolation in the near-wall region can be ignored. The effect of friction on local percolation is significant. Increasing the fine particle mass fraction and reducing the difference in particle size can effectively avoid percolation.