Granular flows are central to a wide range of natural
phenomena
and industrial processes such as landslides, industrial mixing, and
material handling and present intricate particle dynamics challenges.
This study introduces a novel approach utilizing a Graph Neural Network-based
Simulator (GNS) integrated with an inverse design for optimizing Discrete
Element Method (DEM) parameters in granular flow simulations. The
GNS model, trained on data sets generated from high-fidelity DEM simulations,
exhibits enhanced predictive accuracy and generalization capabilities
across various materials and granular collapse scenarios. Methodologically,
the study contrasts the GNS approach with conventional Design of Experiment
(DoE) methods, highlighting its enhanced computational efficiency
and dynamic optimization capacity for complex parameter interactions
in granular flows. The results demonstrate the GNS method superiority
over the DoE in terms of computational speed and handling intricate
parameter relationships. This work offers an advancement in computational
techniques for granular flow studies, showing the potential of using
differential simulations for realistic problems.