Three-dimensional heat transfer in a particulate bed in a rotary drum studied via the discrete element method

We simulated three-dimensional heat transfer inside a horizontal rotating drum using the discrete element method and a thermal conduction model.The aim was to determine the effect of end-wall heating on thermal behavior of a granular bed.The simulation showed that the end-wall heating significantly affects the axial temperature profile of the bed,particularly when the length-to-diameter ratio is low.Particles near the wall heated faster and became more thermally uniform than those in the center of the drum.The region affected by the end heating gradually increased over time.Increasing the rotation speed enhanced the heat conduction rate,and increasing the fill level reduced the mean temperature and thermal uniformity of the granular bed.Heat transfer was also simulated for drums with different length-to-diameter ratios.