Discrete element simulation of mechanical characteristic of conditioned sands in earth pressure balance shield tunneling

The discrete element method (DEM) was used to simulate the flow characteristic and strength characteristic of the conditioned sands in the earth pressure balance (EPB) tunneling. In the laboratory the conditioned sands were reproduced and the slump test and the direct shear test of the conditioned sands were implemented. A DEM equivalent model that can simulate the macro mechanical characteristic of the conditioned sands was proposed,and the corresponding numerical models of the slump test and the shear test were established. By selecting proper DEM model parameters,the errors of the slump values between the simulation results and the test results are in the range of 10.3%-14.3%,and the error of the curves between the shear displacement and the shear stress calculated with the DEM simulation is 4.68%-16.5% compared with that of the laboratory direct shear test. This illustrates that the proposed DEM equivalent model can approximately simulate the mechanical characteristics of the conditioned sands,which provides the basis for further simulation of the interaction between the conditioned soil and the chamber pressure system of the EPB machine.

Discrete element simulation of crushable rockfill materials

A discrete element method was used to study the evolution of particle crushing in a rockfill sample subjected to triaxial shear. A simple procedure was developed to generate clusters with arbitrary shapes, which resembled real rockfill particles. A theoretical method was developed to define the failure criterion for an individual particle subjected to an arbitrary set of contact forces. Then, a series of numerical tests of large-scale drained triaxial tests were conducted to simulate the behaviors of the rockfill sample. Finally, we examined the development of micro-characteristics such as particle crushing, contact characteristics, porosity, deformation, movement, and energy dissipation. The simulation results were partially compared with the laboratory experiments, and good agreement was achieved, demonstrating that the particle crushing model proposed can be used to simulate the drained triaxial test ofrockfill materials. Based on a comparison of macro behaviors of the roekfill sample and micro structures of the particles, the microscopic mechanism of the rockfill materials subjected to triaxial shear was determined qualitatively. It is shown that the crushing rate, rather than the number of crushed particles, can be used to reflect the relationship between macro- and micro-mechanical characteristics of rockfill materials. These research results further develop our understanding of the deformation mechanism of rockfill materials.

Contact parameter analysis and calibration in discrete element simulation of rice straw

Discrete element method was used to study and analyze the interaction between rice straws and between rice straw and agricultural machinery parts,thereby providing a scientific basis for post-harvest paddy field processing.Calibrations of rice straw-rice straw,rice straw-agricultural machinery part contact parameters(collision recovery coefficient,static friction coefficient and rolling friction coefficient)constitute an important prerequisite for the discrete element research process.In this study,the collision recovery coefficients of rice straw-steel and rice straw-rice straw were 0.230 and 0.357,respectively,which were calibrated by the collision method.The static friction coefficient and rolling friction coefficient of rice straw-steel were 0.363 and 0.208 respectively,which were calibrated by the inclined plate method and the slope method.The static friction coefficient and rolling friction coefficient of rice straw-rice straw were 0.44 and 0.07,respectively,which were calibrated by the split cylinder method.The paired t-test showed insignificant differences between calibration parameter simulation results and the physical test values(p>0.05).Taking the angle of repose that reflecting rice straw flow and friction characteristics as the evaluation index,the verification tests of the above calibration values indicated that the simulated angle of repose has no significant difference from the physical test value(p>0.05).The side plate lifting test on rice straw of different lengths showed no significant difference between the simulated angle of repose and the physical test value(p>0.05).This study can provide a basis for contact parameters choice in discrete element simulation analysis with rice straw-rice straw and rice straw-agricultural machinery parts as the research object.The calibration method can provide a reference for the contact parameter calibration of other crop straws.

Assessing cutter-rock interaction during TBM tunnelling in granite:Large-scale standing rotary cutting tests and 3D DEM simulations

The widespread utilisation of tunnel boring machines(TBMs)in underground construction engineering requires a detailed investigation of the cutter-rock interaction.In this paper,we conduct a series of largescale standing rotary cutting tests on granite in conjunction with high-fidelity numerical simulations based on a particle-type discrete element method(DEM)to explore the effects of key cutting parameters on the TBM cutter performance and the distribution of cutter-rock contact stresses.The assessment results of cutter performance obtained from the cutting tests and numerical simulations reveal similar dependencies on the key cutting parameters.More specifically,the normal and rolling forces exhibit a positive correlation with penetration but are slightly influenced by the cutting radius.In contrast,the side force decreases as the cutting radius increases.Additionally,the side force shows a positive relationship with the penetration for smaller cutting radii but tends to become negative as the cutting radius increases.The cutter's relative effectiveness in rock breaking is significantly impacted by the penetration but shows little dependency on the cutting radius.Consequently,an optimal penetration is identified,leading to a low boreability index and specific energy.A combined Hertz-Weibull function is developed to fit the cutter-rock contact stress distribution obtained in DEM simulations,whereby an improved CSM(Colorado School of Mines)model is proposed by replacing the original monotonic cutting force distribution with this combined Hertz-Weibull model.The proposed model outperforms the original CSM model as demonstrated by a comparison of the estimated cutting forces with those from the tests/simulations.The findings from this work that advance our understanding of TBM cutter performance have important implications for improving the efficiency and reliability of TBM tunnelling in granite.

Effect of particle composition and consolidation degree on the wave-induced liquefaction of soil beds

The wave-induced liquefaction of seabed is responsible for causing damage to marine structures.Particle composition and consolidation degree are the key factors affecting the pore water pressure response and liquefaction behavior of the seabed under wave action.The present study conducted wave flume experiments on silt and silty fine sand beds with varying particle compositions.Furthermore,a comprehensive analysis of the differences and underlying reasons for liquefaction behavior in two different types of soil was conducted from both macroscopic and microscopic perspectives.The experimental results indicate that the silt bed necessitates a lower wave load intensity to attain the liquefaction state in comparison to the silty fine sand bed.Additionally,the duration and development depth of liquefaction are greater in the silt bed.The dissimilarity in liquefaction behavior between the two types of soil can be attributed to the variation in their permeability and plastic deformation capacity.The permeability coefficient and compression modulus of silt are lower than those of silty fine sand.Consequently,silt is more prone to the accumulation of pore pressure and subsequent liquefaction under external loading.Prior research has demonstrated that silt beds with varying consolidation degrees exhibit distinct initial failure modes.Specifically,a dense bed undergoes shear failure,whereas a loose bed experiences initial liquefaction failure.This study utilized discrete element simulation to examine the microscopic mechanisms that underlie this phenomenon.

Simulation and experimental research on extra-squeeze forming method during gradient sand molding

The flexible extrusion forming process (FEFP) is a sand mold patternless manufacturing technology that enables digital near-net shaping of complex sand molds. But, it is difficult to achieve the gradient sand molds with high surface strength and strong interior permeability by FEFP. To solve this problem, an extra-squeeze forming method based on FEFP for gradient sand mold was developed. To further reveal the extra-squeeze forming mechanism, based on the Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) theory and “gluing” notions, the single and double-sided squeeze models of gradient sand molds were established using the EDEM software. The squeezing processes of sand molds with different cavity depths of 60, 100, 140, 180, and 220 mm were systemically studied under single and double-sided squeeze conditions. The variation in the void fraction of sand mold as also investigated at a variety of extra-squeeze distances of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 mm, respectively. Simulation and test results show that a deeper cavity depth weakens the extrusion force transmission, which leads to a decrease in strength. The sand mold permeability and void fraction are identified to be positively correlated, while the tensile strength and void fraction appear to be negatively correlated. The void fraction of sand molds decreases with a longer extra-squeeze distance. A 6 mm extra-squeeze distance for the sand mold with 220 mm cavity depth results in a 26.8% increase in tensile strength with only a 5.7% reduction in the permeability. Hence, the extra- squeeze forming method can improve the quality of the sand mold by producing a gradient sand mold with high surface strength and strong interior permeability.

Failure characteristics and fracture mechanism of overburden rock induced by mining:A case study in China

This study employs similar simulation testing and discrete element simulation coupling to analyze the failure and deformation processes of a model coal seam's roof.The caving area of the overburden rock is divided into three zones:the delamination fracture zone,broken fracture zone,and compaction zone.The caving and fracture zones'heights are approximately 110 m above the coal seam,with a maximum subsidence of 11 m.The delamination fracture zone's porosity range is between 0.2 and 0.3,while the remainder of the roof predominantly exhibits a porosity of less than 0.1.In addition,the numerical model's stress analysis revealed that the overburden rock's displacement zone forms an'arch-beam'structure starting from 160 m,with the maximum and minimum stress values decreasing as the distance of advancement increases.In the stress beam interval of the overburden rock,the maximum value changes periodically as the advancement distance increases.Based on a comparative analysis between observable data from on-site work and numerical simulation results,the stress data from the numerical simulation are essentially consistent with the actual results detected on-site,indicating the validity of the numerical simulation results.

DEM simulation of particle flow on a single deck banana screen

A mathematical study of particle flow on a banana screen deck using the discrete element method (DEM) was presented in this paper. The motion characteristics and penetrating mechanisms of particles on the screen deck were studied. Effects of geometric parameters of screen deck on banana screening process were also investigated. The results show that when the values of inclination of discharge and increment of screen deck inclination are 10° and 5° respectively, the banana screening process get a good screening performance in the simulation. The relationship between screen deck length and screening efficiency was further confirmed. The conclusion that the screening efficiency will not significantly increase when the deck length L≥430 mm (L/B ≥ 3.5) was obtained, which can provide theoretical basis for the optimization of banana screen.

Simulation of random mixed packing of different density particles

This paper presents the effects of density difference on the three-dimensional （3D） distribution of random mixed packing. The random mixed packing dynamics of particles of two different densities are simulated. The initial state is homogeneous, but the final packing state is inhomogeneous. The segregation phenomenon （inhomogeneous distribution） is also observed. In the final state, the top layers are composed of mostly light particles. The several layers beneath the top contain more heavy particles than light particles. At the bottom, they also contain more heavy particles than light particles. Furthermore, at both the top and the bottom, particle clustering is observed. The current study also analyses the cause of this inhomogeneity in detail. The main cause of this phenomenon is the velocity difference after collision of these two types of particles induced by the density difference. The present study reveals that even if particles were perfectly mixed, the packing process would lead to the final inhomogeneous mixture. It suggests that special treatment may be required to get the true homogeneous packing.

Numerical investigation on the fatigue failure characteristics of waterbearing sandstone under cyclic loading

The strength of sandstone decreases significantly with higher water content attributing to softening effects.This scenario can pose a severe threat to the stability of reservoirs of pumped storage power stations developed from abandoned mines,especially when subjected to the cyclic loading condition caused by the repeated drainage and storage of water(fatigue damage).Based on this,it is essential to focus on the fatigue failure characteristics.In this study,the mineral composition of the used sandstone of Ruineng coal mine in Shanxi Province,China,was first tested to elucidate the rock softening mechanism after absorbing water.Next,a numerical model for replicating the mechanical behavior of water-bearing sandstone was established using twodimensional particle flow code(PFC2D)with a novel contact model.Then,16 uniaxial cyclic loading simulations with distinct loading parameters related to reservoir conditions(loading frequency,amplitude level,and maximum stress level)and different water contents were conducted.The numerical results show that all these three loading parameters affect the failure characteristics of sandstone,including irreversible strain,damage evolution,strain behavior,and fatigue life.The influence degree of these three parameters on failure behavior increases in the order of maximum stress level,loading frequency,and amplitude level.However,for the samples with different water contents,their failure characteristics are similar under the same loading conditions.Furthermore,the failure mode is almost unaffected by the loading parameters,while the water content plays a significant role and causing the transformation from the tensile splitting with low water content to the shear failure with higher water content.

Macro and micro grouting process and the influence mechanism of cracks in soft coal seam

Grouting is an important method to reinforce soft coal roadway,and the presence of primary cracks in the coal body has an important influence on the grouting effect.With the discrete element simulation method,the grouting process of the soft coal seam was simulated.The mechanism of primary cracks on grouting was revealed,while the influence of fracture characteristics and grouting pressure on the grouting effect was analyzed.The results demonstrated that grouting in the soft coal seam involves the stages of seepage,rapid splitting,slow splitting,and stability.Due to the presence of primary cracks,the grouting diffusion radius increased significantly.Under the slurry pressure,the tensile stress concentration was formed at the crack tip,and the slurry split the coal once the splitting pressure was reached.In addition,the distribution characteristics of fractures are found to have a great influence on the grouting effect.It is observed that smaller fracture spacing is associated with a larger slurry diffusion radius and thus easier penetration of the primary crack tips.The fracture angle affects the direction of fracture propagation.The secondary fracture formed by splitting is a tensile fracture,which is more likely to extend along the direction parallel to the maximum principal stress.Overall,these simulation results have guiding significance for the setting of reasonable spacing of grouting holes in the practice of grouting engineering.

Cumulative damage effect on debris slopes under frequent microseisms

Debris slopes are widely distributed across the Three Gorges Reservoir area in China,and seasonal fluctuations of the water level in the area tend to cause high-frequency microseisms that subsequently induce landslides on such debris slopes.In this study,a cumulative damage model of debris slope with varying slope characteristics under the effects of frequent microseisms was established,based on the accurate definition of slope damage variables.The cumulative damage behaviour and the mechanisms of slope instability and sliding under frequent microseisms were thus systematically investigated through a series of shaking table tests and discrete element numerical simulations,and the influences of related parameters such as bedrock,dry density and stone content were discussed.The results showed that the instability mode of a debris slope can be divided into a vibration-compaction stage,a crack generation stage,a crack development stage,and an instability stage.Under the action of frequent microseisms,debris slope undergoes the last three stages cyclically,which causes the accumulation to slide out in layers under the synergistic action of tension and shear,causing the slope to become destabilised.There are two sliding surfaces as well as the parallel tensile surfaces in the final instability of the debris slope.In the process of instability,the development trend of the damage accumulation curve remains similar for debris slopes with different parameters.However,the initial vibration compaction effect in the bedrock-free model is stronger than that in the bedrock model,with the overall cumulative damage degree in the former being lower than that of the latter.The damage degree of the debris slope with high dry density also develops more slowly than that of the debris slope with low dry density.The damage development rate of the debris slope does not always decrease with the increase of stone content.The damage degree growth rate of the debris slope with the optimal stone content is the lowest,and the increase or decrease of the stone content makes the debris slope instability happen earlier.The numerical simulation study also further reveals that the damage in the debris slope mainly develops in the form of crack formation and penetration,in which,shear failure occurs more frequently in the debris slope.

Discrete element method for high-temperature spread in compacted powder systems

The discrete element method is applied to investigate high-temperature spread in compacted metallic particle systems formed by high-velocity compaction. Assuming that heat transfer only occurs at contact zone between particles, a discrete equation based on continuum mechanics is proposed to investigate the heat flux. Heat generated internally by friction between moving particles is determined by kinetic equations. For the proposed model, numerical results are obtained by a particle-flow-code-based program. Temperature profiles are determined at different locations and times. At a fixed location, the increase in temperature shows a logarithmic relationship with time. Investigation of three different systems indicates that the geometric distribution of the particulate material is one of the main influencing factors for the heat conduction process. Higher temperature is generated for denser packing, and vice versa. For smaller uniform particles, heat transfers more rapidly.

Effective simulation of flexible lateral boundaries in two-and three-dimensional DEM simulations

Discrete element method （DEM） models to simulate laboratory element tests play an important role in advancing our understanding of the mechanics of granular material response, including bonded or cemented, particulate materials. Comparisons of the macro-scale response observed in a real physical test and a ＂virtual＂ DEM-simulated test can calibrate or validate DEM models. The detailed, particle scale information provided in the DEM simulation can then be used to develop our understanding of the material behaviour. It is important to accurately model the physical test boundary conditions in these DEM simulations. This paper specifically considers triaxial tests as these tests are commonly used in soil mechanics. In a triaxial test, the test specimen of granular material is enclosed within a flexible latex membrane that allows the material to deform freely during testing, while maintaining a specified stress condition. Triaxial tests can only be realistically simulated in 3D DEM codes, however analogue, 2D, biaxial DEM simulations are also often considered as it is easier to visualize particle interactions in two dimensions. This paper describes algorithms to simulate the lateral boundary conditions imposed by the latex membrane used in physical triaxial tests in both 2D and 3D DEM simulations. The importance of carefully considering the lateral boundary conditions in DEM simulations is illustrated by considering a 2D biaxial test on a specimen of frictional unbonded disks and a 3D triaxial test on a bonded （cemented） specimen of spheres. The comparisons indicate that the lateral boundary conditions have a more significant influence on the local, particle-scale response in comparison with the overall macro-scale observations.

Application of DEM modified with enlarged particle model to simulation of bead motion in a bead mill

We applied the discrete element method （DEM） of simulation modified by an enlarged particle model to simulate bead motion in a large bead mill. The stainless-steel bead mill has inner diameter of 102 mm and mill length of 198 mm. The bead diameter and filling ratio were fixed respectively at 0.5 mm and 85%. The agitator rotational speed was changed from 1863 to 3261 rpm. The bead motion was monitored experimentally using a high-speed video camera through a transparent mill body. For the simulation, enlarged particle sizes were set as 3-6 mm in diameter. With the DEM modified by the enlarged particle model, the motion of enlarged particles in a mill was simulated.The velocity data of the simulated enlarged particles were compared with those obtained in the experiment. The simulated velocity of the enlarged particles depends on the virtual frictional coefficient in the DEM model. The optimized value of the virtual frictional coefficient can be determined by considering the accumulated mean value. Results show that the velocity of the enlarged particles simulated increases with an increase in the optimum virtual frictional coefficient, but the simulated velocity agrees well with that determined experimentally by optimizing the virtual frictional coefficient in the simulation. The computing time in the simulation decreases with increased particle size.

Separation and mechanical properties of residual film and soil

In Xinjiang's perennial cotton(Gossypium hirsutum)-planting soil,the average residual amount of plastic film is as high as 265.3 kg/hm2,and the problem of pollution with residual plastic film in the tillage layer has become a major problem.To explore the mechanism of the separation of residual film and soil in the tillage layer and determine the conditions favorable for the separation of residual film-soil,this study established a constitutive model of residual film-soil contact based on the discrete element method and used the established constitutive model to simulate the process of separating residual film and soil.In addition,the influence of parameters,such as soil particle size and water content,on the force to separate the residual film and soil was studied using single factor and orthogonal experiments.The simulation results showed that the changing trend of the residual film-soil separation force curve did not differ much between the simulation and the actual comparison,and the curves were roughly the same.They all decreased after the separation force reached its peak value,but the simulated separation force curve was similar to that of the actual separation force.It increased rapidly from the beginning and reached peak separation force first.The single-factor experiment showed that the separation force of the used residual mulching film was higher than that of the unused mulching film.Under the same conditions,the maximum separation force required to separate the residual membrane was proportional to the positive pressure on the surface of the residual membrane and the size of soil particles.Under the same conditions,the maximum separation force required to separate the residual film is proportional to the positive pressure on the surface of the residual film and the size of soil particles.The maximum separation force decreased first and then increased as the soil moisture content increased.The results of the orthogonal experiment showed that the soil particle size had the greatest effect on the maximum separation force,followed by positive pressure on the residual film surface,soil moisture content,and the service life of mulch.In addition,film mulch that was buried 60 mm deep in the soil,a particle size of more than 2.5 mm,and a soil moisture content of 8%was the optimal combination of parameters to effectively separate the film mulching residue from the soil.

Numerical analysis of enhanced mixing in a Gallay tote blender

The mixing performance of a multi-bladed baffle inserted into a traditional Gallay tote blender is explored by graphic processing unit-based discrete element method software. The mixing patterns and rates are investigated for a binary mixture, represented by two different colors, under several loading profiles. The baffle effectively enhances the convective mixing both in the axial and radial directions, because of the disturbance it causes to the initial flowing layer and solid-body zone, compared with a blender without a baffle. The axial mixing rate is affected by the gap between the baffle and the wall on the left and right sides, and an optimal blade length corresponds to the maximum mixing rate. However, the radial mixing rate increases with the blade length almost monotonically.

Using the DEM-CFD method to predict Brownian particle deposition in a constricted tube

Modelling of the agglomeration and deposition on a constricted tube collector of colloidal size particles immersed in a liquid is investigated using the discrete element method （DEM）. The ability of this method to represent surface interactions allows the simulation of agglomeration and deposition at the particle scale. The numerical model adopts a mechanistic approach to represent the forces involved in colloidal suspensions by including near-wall drag retardation, surface interaction and Brownian forces. The model is implemented using the commercially available DEM package EDEM 2.3~, so that results can be repli- cated in a standard and user-friendly framework. The effects of various particle-to-collector size ratios, inlet fluid flow-rates and particle concentrations are examined and it is found that deposition efficiency is strongly dependent on the inter-relation of these parameters. Particle deposition and re-suspension mechanisms have been identified and analyzed thanks to EDEM＇s post processing capability. One-way coupling with computational fluid dynamics （CFD） is considered and results are compared with a two- way coupling between EDEM 2.3 and FLUENT 12.1. It is found that two-way coupling requires circa 500% more time than one-way coupling for similar results.