Multi-level DEM study on silo discharge behaviors of non-spherical particles

The silo discharge of non-spherical particles has been widely practiced in engineering processes, yet the understanding of multi-level mechanisms during solid transportation is still lacking. In this study, a high-fidelity super-ellipsoid Discrete Element Method (DEM) model is established to investigate the discharge behaviors of non-spherical particles with different size distributions. After the comprehensive model validations, we investigated the effects of particle shape (aspect ratio and particle sharpness) on the particle level discharge behaviors. The discharge rates of the ellipsoid particles used in the current work are larger than the spherical particles due to the larger solid fraction. The discharge rates of the cuboid-like particles are determined by the combined effect of the solid fraction and the contact force. Parcel level data show that the translational movements of the ellipsoid particles are more ordered, which is supported by the global level data. Strong correlations exist between the particle level and parcel level data, especially the ellipsoid particles and the large particles in the polydispersed cases.

Development of a rarefaction wave at discharge initiation in a storage silo--DEM simulations

The generation of a rarefaction wave at the initiation of discharge from a storage silo is a phenomenon of scientific and practical interest. The effect, sometimes termed the dynamic pressure switch, may create dangerous pulsations of the storage structure. Owing to the nonlinearity, discontinuity, and heterogeneity of granular systems, the mechanism of generation and propagation of stress waves is complex and not yet completely understood. The present study conducted discrete element simulations to model the formation and propagation of a rarefaction wave in a granular material contained in a silo. Modeling was performed for a flat-bottom cylindrical container with diameter of 0.1 or 0.12 m and height of 0.5 m. The effects of the orifice size and the shape of the initial discharging impulse on the shape and extent of the rarefaction wave were examined. Positions, velocities, and forces of particles were recorded every 10-5 s and used to infer the location of the front of the rarefaction wave and loads on construction members. Discharge through the entire bottom of the bin generates a plane rarefaction wave that may be followed by a compaction wave, depending on the discharge rate. Discharge through the orifice generates a spherical rarefaction wave that, after reflection from the silo wall, travels up the silo as a sequence of rarefaction-compaction cycles with constant wavelength equal to the silo diameter, During the travel of the wave along the bin height, the wave amplitude increases with the distance traveled. Simulations confirmed earlier findings of laboratory and numerical （finite element method） experiments and a theoretical approach, estimating the speed of the front of the rarefaction wave to range from 70 to 80 m/s and the speed of the tail to range from 20 to 60 m/s.

A study of influence of gravity on bulk behaviour of particulate solid

This paper examines the influence of gravity on the bulk responses of a granular solid. The loading scenarios in this study include confined compression, rod penetration into a granular medium and discharging through an orifice. Similar loading and flow conditions are likely to be encountered in the stress and deformation regimes that regoliths are subjected to in extraterrestrial exploration activities including in situ resource utilisation processes. Both spherical and non-spherical particles were studied using the discrete element method （DEM）. Whilst DEM is increasingly used to model granular solids, careful validations of the simulation outcomes are rather rare. Thus in addition to exploring the effect of gravity, this paper also compares DEM simulations with experiments under terrestrial condition to verify whether DEM can produce satisfactory predictions. The terrestrial experiments were conducted with great care and simulated closely using DEM. The key mechanical and geometrical properties for the particles were measured in laboratory tests for use in the DEM simulations. A series of DEM computations were then performed under reduced gravity to simulate these experiments under extraterrestrial environment. It was found that gravity has no noticeable effect on the force transmission in the confined compression case; the loading gradient in the rod penetration is linearly proportional to the gravity; the mass flow rate in silo discharge is proportional to square root of the gravity and the angle of repose increases with reducing gravity. These findings are in agreement with expectation and existing scientific evidence.