En
期刊文章
文章精选
当期目录
过刊浏览
高被引
高下载
特邀文章
专刊合集
待刊文章
Volume 107
您当前的位置：首页 > 期刊文章 > 当期目录 > Volume 107
Quantifying the impact of particle size distribution variability on angle of repose measurement precision: A friction-dependent analysis using PyBullet physics simulation
Chia-Ming Chang a *, Yu-Chieh Ting b, Yong-Ming Dai a, Chien-Tzu Huang a
a Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, NCUT, Taichung, Taiwan, China
b Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, NTU, Taipei, Taiwan, China
10.1016/j.partic.2025.09.019
Volume 107, December 2025, Pages 157-165
Received 25 August 2025, Revised 29 September 2025, Accepted 29 September 2025, Available online 16 October 2025, Version of Record 25 October 2025.
E-mail: changdr1217@icloud.com
Highlights

• First systematic study quantifying polydispersity effects on angle of repose.

• Friction accounts for 97.7 % of variance vs 0.4 % for particle size distribution.

• Friction-dependent polydispersity thresholds established for engineering applications.

• PyBullet DEM simulations validated against theoretical predictions (24.92° vs 23.4°).

• Evidence-based criteria challenge conventional particle characterization assumptions.


Abstract

Particle size distribution effects on angle of repose measurements remain insufficiently quantified despite their industrial importance. This study systematically investigates friction–polydispersity interactions using PyBullet DEM simulations with factorial design and statistical analysis. Three friction levels (0.3, 0.5, 0.7) and five coefficients of variation (0–100 %) were examined in 750 simulations. Results show that friction is the overwhelmingly dominant factor, explaining 97.7 % of the variance, whereas polydispersity plays a minor but friction-dependent role. Low-friction systems are highly sensitive to size variability, with even modest heterogeneity leading to unstable heaps. In contrast, high-friction systems remain robust, tolerating broad distributions without significant precision loss. The simulated high-friction angles also agree well with theoretical and experimental benchmarks, supporting the model's predictive capability. Overall, the findings establish friction-dependent tolerance criteria for particle size heterogeneity and highlight that accurate friction determination is far more predictive than exhaustive size characterization. These insights provide evidence-based guidelines for granular material handling and quality control in industrial practice.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Discrete element method; Polydispersity; Friction coefficient; PyBullet simulation; ANOVA
文章导读