Particle Processing: Recent Developments Implementing DEM Simulations

The handling, transport, and packing of granular materials has broad relevance,

spanning from geophysical phenomena, such as avalanches and sand dune formation,

to industrial and defense applications, through powder technology, additive

manufacturing, and the mechanics of soil and construction materials. While the study of

monodisperse spheres has progressed significantly over the past two decades, here we

explore more recent developments that allow us to extend computer simulation studies

to systems that more closely relate to real-world and experimental systems. These

include the capability to study systems with a high degree of particle size dispersity,

non-spherical, complex, and frictional particle shapes, that can pack or flow in different

geometries. We illustrate these newer capabilities with the study of the inclined plane

flow of rod-like structures, and how the flow behavior depends on the size of the flowing

pile and the frictional roughness between the rods.