NURBS-based DEM for non-spherical particles--颗粒学报PARTICUOLOGY

Liu, S., Chen, F., Ge, W., & Ricoux, P. (2020). NURBS-based DEM for non-spherical particles. Particuology, 49, 65-76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.partic.2019.04.005

NURBS-based DEM for non-spherical particles

Shiwen Liu ^{a b}, Feiguo Chen ^a *, Wei Ge ^{a b}, Philippe Ricoux ^c

a State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 353, Beijing 100190, China
b School of Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
c Data Processing and Modeling, TOTAL Scientific Division, France

10.1016/j.partic.2019.04.005

Volume 49, April 2020, Pages 65-76

Received 8 February 2019, Revised 31 March 2019, Accepted 25 April 2019, Available online 29 July 2019, Version of Record 26 February 2020.

E-mail: fgchen@ipe.ac.cn

Highlights

• Accurate description of non-spherical particles, particularly smooth surfaces.

• Quadratic convergence algorithm of contact detection for non-spherical shapes.

• Soft-sphere contact force model of non-spherical particles.

Abstract

The discrete element method (DEM) is used to analyze complex practical granular systems; however, the representation of real shapes is an important consideration because behavior of non-spherical particles is unlike that of spherical particles both individually and collectively. In this study, we use non-uniform rational basis-splines (NURBS) to describe the shapes of non-spherical particles and introduce a contact detection scheme based on quadratic convergence, to simulate the behaviors of elliptical particles. The simulation results are compared with those based on polygons, in terms of the shape description and contact treatment, to demonstrate the high accuracy and efficiency of NURBS-based DEM.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Non-spherical particle; Discrete element method; NURBS; Facet-based DEM; Granular system

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