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.     

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.     

A slip-line plasticity analysis of abrasive wear of a smooth and soft surface sliding against a rough (fractal) and hard surface

Abrasive wear of a soft and smooth surface sliding against a rough (fractal) and hard surface was analyzed by the slip-line theory of plasticity. The analysis is based on a slip-line model of a rigid spherical asperity (wear particle) plowing through a soft surface and removing material by microcutting. Integration of this single-contact model into a three-dimensional contact mechanics analysis of an abrasive surface exhibiting multi-scale roughness described by fractal geometry yielded relationships of the abrasive wear rate and wear coefficient in terms of the interfacial shear strength (adhesion), topography (fractal) parameters of the hard/rough surface, elastic–plastic material properties of the soft/smooth surface, and total normal load. Analytical results from the single-contact analysis provide insight into the deformation of a perfectly plastic material caused by the abrasive action of a rigid asperity/wear particle under different normal load and interfacial friction (adhesion) conditions. The dependence of the abrasive wear rate and wear coefficient on normal load (global interference), roughness of the abrasive surface, elastic–plastic material properties of the abraded surface, and interfacial shear strength (lubrication effect) is interpreted in the context of numerical results obtained for representative ceramic/ceramic, ceramic/metallic, and metal/metal sliding systems.     

谐波减速器黏着磨损失效加速寿命模型研究

针对空间润滑谐波减速器黏着磨损失效的加速寿命试验方法问题,首先基于Johnson-Williamson的粗糙表面接触模型建立了混合润滑状态下的黏着磨损模型,模型表明磨损速率主要由粗糙表面微凸体接触承担的载荷比例决定.然后,对磨损部位进行考虑粗糙表面真实形貌与润滑剂流变特性的混合润滑数值分析表明,转速与载荷对微观界面接触与润滑分布状态的影响显著,温度的影响有限,因此传统提高转速并升高温度以保持油膜厚度一致的加速寿命试验方法已不适用.最后以增大转速、载荷并保持或增大混合润滑状态下微凸体接触承担的载荷为加速寿命试验准则,以微凸体承担载荷为加速应力建立了黏着磨损的加速寿命模型,并以不同工况的加速寿命试验与寿命分布统计对其准确性进行了验证.     

An adhesive wear model of fractal surfaces in normal contact

A generalized adhesive wear analysis that takes into account the effect of interfacial adhesion on the total load was developed for three-dimensional fractal surfaces in normal contact. A wear criterion based on the critical contact area for fully-plastic deformation of the asperity contacts was used to model the removal of material from the contact interface. The fraction of fully-plastic asperity contacts, wear rate, and wear coefficient are expressed in terms of the total normal load (global interference), fractal (topography) parameters, elastic–plastic material properties, surface energy, material compatibility, and interfacial adhesion characteristics controlled by the environment of the interacting surfaces. Numerical results are presented for representative ceramic–ceramic, ceramic–metallic, and metal–metal contact systems to illustrate the dependence of asperity plastic deformation, wear rate, and wear coefficient on global interference, surface roughness, material properties, and work of adhesion (affected by the material compatibility and the environment of the contacting surfaces). The analysis yields insight into the effects of surface material properties and interfacial adhesion on the adhesive wear of rough surfaces in normal contact.     

An erosion model for the discrete element method

A shear impact energy model (SIEM) of erosion suitable for both dilute and dense particle flows is proposed based on the shear impact energy of particles in discrete element method (DEM) simulations. A number of DEM simulations are performed to determine the relationship between the shear impact energy predicted by the DEM model and the theoretical erosion energy. Simulation results show that nearly one-quarter of the shear impact energy will be converted to erosion during an impingement. According to the ratio of the shear impact energy to the erosion energy, it is feasible to predict erosion from the shear impact energy, which can be accumulated at each time step for each impingement during the DEM simulation. The total erosion of the target surface can be obtained by summing the volume of material removed from each impingement. The proposed erosion model is validated against experiment and results show that the SIEM combined with DEM accurately predicts abrasive erosions.     

磨合过程对润滑性能影响的数值分析——粗糙峰与轮廓的磨损

用非牛顿流体热弹流润滑方程对整合过程进行了解算。解算中考虑了光滑表面的轮廓磨损与不同高度和斜度的微突体磨损对润滑特性的影响。分析结果表明,在重载条件下表面轮廓磨损不利于润滑,而表面微突体的磨损则有利于润滑,当同时考虑表面轮廓和粗糙度时,在一定磨损高度内,磨损显著增另润滑膜的最小膜厚,从而有利于润滑。     

Calibration of granular material parameters for DEM modelling and numerical verification by blade-granular material interaction

The discrete element method (DEM) is a promising approach to model blade-granular material interactions. The accuracy of DEM models depends on the model parameters. In this study, a calibration process was developed to determine the parameter values. The particle size was the same as the real material and the particle shape was modelled using two spherical particles rigidly clumped together to form a single grain. Laboratory shear tests and compressions tests were used to determine the material internal friction angle and stiffness, respectively. These tests were replicated numerically using DEM models with different sets of particle friction coefficients and particle stiffness values. The shear test results are found to be dependent on both the particle friction coefficient and the particle stiffness. The compression test results show that it is only dependent on the particle stiffness. The combination of shear test and compression test results can be used to determine a unique set of particle friction and particle stiffness values. The calibration process was validated experimentally and numerically by modelling a blade moving through granular material. Results show that the forces acting on the blade can be accurately modelled with DEM and the maximum error is found to be 26%. The relative particle-blade displacements were used to predict the position and shape of the shear lines in front of the blade. A good qualitative correlation was achieved between the experiments and the DEM simulations.     

Characterization of artificial spherical particles for DEM validation studies

This paper describes a study in which advanced particle-scale characterization was carried out on spherical particles that can be used in experimental tests to validate discrete element method (DEM) simulations. Two types of particle, alkaline and borosilicate glass beads, made from two different materials, were considered. The particle shape, stiffness, contact friction properties and surface roughness were measured. The influences of hardness and roughness on the mechanical response of the particles were carefully considered. Compared to the alkaline beads, the borosilicate beads were more spherical and more uniform in size, and they exhibited mechanical characteristics closer to natural quartz sand. While only two material types were studied, the work has the broader implication as a methodology for selecting particles suitable for use in DEM studies and the key parameters that should be considered in the selection process are highlighted.     

Experimental,numerical and analytical studies of abrasive wear: correlation between wear mechanisms and friction coefficient

The transport of granular material often generates severe damage. Understanding the correlation between the friction coefficient, particle geometry and wear mechanisms is of primary importance for materials undergoing abrasive wear. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of particle geometry on wear mechanisms and the friction coefficient. Numerical and analytical simulations and experimental results have been compared. The process to be studied is the scratch made by a rigid cone with different attack angles on a 5xxx aluminium alloy (Al–Mg) flat surface. A scratch test was used and the wear mechanisms were observed for different attack angles. A numerical study with a finite element code was made in order to understand the effect of attack angle on the friction coefficient. The contact surface and the friction coefficient were also studied, and the results compared to the Bowden and Tabor model. The superposition of the numerical, analytical and experimental results showed a better correlation between the wear mechanisms and the friction coefficient. It also showed the importance of the model hypothesis used to simulate the scratch phenomenon. To cite this article: S. Mezlini et al., C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).     

Simulation of soil deformation and resistance at bar penetration by the Distinct Element Method

A mechanical model of soil is constructed using the Distinct Element Method (DEM) which makes it possible to analyze the discontinuous property of soil. To discuss the applicability of the soil model by the DEM, a bar penetration test was conducted and the result was compared with the simulation results. From the results of the behavior of elements, it could be said that the mechanical model by the DEM could well simulate the discontinuous behavior of soil and the parameters used in the simulation play important roles to make the soil model useful. As for the penetrating resistance, some problems which lie in the present DEM model are discussed and the key to solving these problems is indicated. Moreover, the method to determine the time interval used in the DEM simulations is mentioned in terms of the stability of the solution in the calculation.     

单峰接触研究及其在分形表面接触中的应用

基于有限元方法,建立了弹塑性单峰的接触模型.粗糙峰为理想的弹塑性材料,为了考虑不同的材料特性对微凸体变形的影响,分别对9种不同的材料进行了分析.根据有限元计算结果,分析了接触面积,平均接触压力和接触力与变形干涉量之间的关系,并进行了经验公式的拟合.单峰接触所经历的4个不同的阶段,以及不同阶段之间的转化点均作了明确的表达.然后,根据分形理论,将单峰接触模型扩展到了三维的粗糙表面的接触,并提出了一个计算接触表面法向刚度的模型.通过与实验数据和以往模型的结果对比,证明本文中所提出的模型具有较高的精度.     

A slip-line plasticity analysis of sliding friction of rough surfaces exhibiting self-affine (fractal) behavior

A plasticity analysis of sliding friction of rough (fractal) surfaces sliding against smooth surfaces was developed based on a slip-line model of a rigid spherical asperity (wear particle) plowing and cutting through a soft semi-infinite medium. Solutions of the fraction of fully plastic asperity microcontacts responsible for the evolution of friction and energy dissipation were obtained in terms of the total normal load (global interference), interfacial adhesion characteristics, topography (fractal) parameters of the hard surface, and elastic–plastic material properties of the soft surface. This was accomplished by incorporating the slip-line model of a single microcontact into a friction analysis of sliding surfaces demonstrating multi-scale roughness. Numerical results provide insight into the effects of global interference (normal load), fractal parameters (surface roughness) of the hard surface, interfacial shear strength (adhesion), and material properties of the soft surface on plastic deformation at the microcontact level, global coefficient of friction, and frictional energy dissipated during sliding.     

仿生叠层构型石墨烯对铝基复合材料的纳米摩擦性能的影响

利用纳米压痕和纳米划痕试验表征了仿生叠层构型铝基石墨烯复合材料(Bio-inspired laminated graphene reinforced aluminum martrix composite, BAMC)与纯铝的力学性能和摩擦磨损性能. 鉴于摩擦力由黏着作用和犁沟作用两分量共同组成,对比探究了BAMC与纯铝在微观摩擦磨损过程中的弹塑性转变过程,分析了黏着作用与犁沟作用在摩擦力中的贡献度,揭示了其微观摩擦磨损机制. 结果表明:相较于纯铝,BAMC的纳米硬度提高了约24%,总摩擦系数(Friction coefficient)降低了约28%,黏着作用分量和犁沟作用分量分别降低了32%和16%. 换言之,复合材料中的异质界面产生异质变形诱导强化,进而增强了应变硬化,使仿生叠层石墨烯铝基复合材料的硬度得到明显提升,并且仿生叠层构型的石墨烯主要通过降低黏着作用来实现减磨. 从微纳米尺度揭示了BAMC的力学性能和摩擦磨损性能显著提升的机理,可为提升其摩擦磨损性能提供理论依据. 目前的工作通过纳米划痕和纳米压痕强调了叠层结构石墨烯的添加对块体复合材料的摩擦性能的影响,并表明仿生叠层构型铝基石墨烯是搭建仿生叠层结构的小尺寸理想增强体.      

Inverse Estimation of Cohesive Fracture Properties of Asphalt Mixtures Using an Optimization Approach

Tensile cracking in asphalt pavements due to vehicular and thermal loads has become an experimental and numerical research focus in the asphalt materials community. Previous studies have used the discrete element method (DEM) to study asphalt concrete fracture. These studies used trial-and-error to obtain local fracture properties such that the DEM models approximate the experimental load-crack mouth opening displacement response. In the current study, we identify the cohesive fracture properties of asphalt mixtures via a nonlinear optimization method. The method encompasses a comparative investigation of displacement fields obtained using both digital image correlation (DIC) and heterogeneous DEM fracture simulations. The proposed method is applied to two standard fracture test geometries: the single-edge notched beam test, SE(B), under three-point bending, and the disk-shaped compact tension test, DC(T). For each test, the Subset Splitting DIC algorithm is used to determine the displacement field in a predefined region near the notch tip. Then, a given number of DEM simulations are performed on the same specimen. The DEM is used to simulate the fracture of asphalt concrete with a linear softening cohesive contact model, where fracture-related properties (e.g., maximum tensile force and maximum crack opening) are varied within a predefined range. The difference between DIC and DEM displacement fields for each set of fracture parameters is then computed and converted to a continuous function via multivariate Lagrange interpolation. Finally, we use a Newton-like optimization technique to minimize Lagrange multinomials, yielding a set of fracture parameters that minimizes the difference between the DEM and DIC displacement fields. The optimized set of fracture parameters from this nonlinear optimization procedure led to DEM results which are consistent with the experimental results for both SE(B) and DC(T) geometries.     

Assessing mixing characteristics of particle-mixing and granulation devices

The mixing of particulates such as powders is an important process in many industries including pharmaceuticals, plastics, household products (such as detergents) and food processing. The quality of products depends on the degree of mixing of their constituent materials which in turn depends on both geometric design and operating conditions. Unfortunately, due to lack of understanding of the interaction between mixer geometry and the granular material, limited progress has been made in optimizing mixer design. The discrete element method (DEM) is a computational technique that allows particle systems to be simulated and mixing to be predicted. Simulation is an effective way of acquiring information on the performance of different mixers that is difficult and/or expensive to obtain using traditional experimental approaches. Here we demonstrate how DEM can be used to unravel flow dynamics and assess mixing in several different types of devices. These devices used for mixing and/or granulation of particulates, are classified broadly as gravity controlled, bladed and high shear. We also explore the role of particle shape in mixing performance and use DEM to test whether Froude number scaling is suitable for predicting scale performance of rotating mixers.     

A coupled sliding and rolling friction model for DEM calibration

The accuracy of dense Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations is sensitive to initial density, contact orientation, particle size and shape, and interparticle interaction parameters including contact stiffness, cohesion, coefficients of friction, and coefficients of restitution. Although studies have characterized the effects of individual particle interaction parameters on mechanical responses of loaded granular material, research combining DEM parameters for calibration is scarce. Robust DEM calibration methodology combining sliding and rolling friction coefficients was developed and validated to predict bulk residual soil strength of initially dense DEM particle assemblies.     

Assessing mixing characteristics of particle-mixing and granulation devices

The mixing of particulates such as powders is an important process in many industries including pharmaceuticals, plastics, household products （such as detergents） and food processing. The quality of products depends on the degree of mixing of their constituent materials which in turn depends on both geometric design and operating conditions. Unfortunately, due to lack of understanding of the interaction between mixer geometry and the granular material, limited progress has been made in optimizing mixer design. The discrete element method （DEM） is a computational technique that allows particle systems to be simulated and mixing to be predicted. Simulation is an effective way of acquiring information on the performance of different mixers that is difficult and/or expensive to obtain using traditional experimental approaches. Here we demonstrate how DEM can be used to unravel flow dynamics and assess mixing in several different types of devices. These devices used for mixing and/or granulation of particulates, are classified broadly as gravity controlled, bladed and high shear. We also explore the role of particle shape in mixing performance and use DEM to test whether Froude number scaling is suitable for predicting scale performance of rotating mixers.     

Discrete fracture modeling of asphalt concrete

A heterogeneous fracture approach is presented for modeling asphalt concrete that is composed of solid inclusions and a viscous matrix, and is subjected to mode-I loading in the fracture test configuration. A heterogeneous fracture model, based on the discrete element method (DEM), is developed to investigate various fracture toughening mechanisms of asphalt materials using a high-resolution image processing technique. An energy-based bilinear cohesive zone model is used to model the crack initiation and propagation of materials, and is implemented as a user-defined model within the discrete element method. Experimental fracture tests are performed to investigate various fracture behavior of asphalt concrete and obtain material input parameters for numerical models. Also, bulk material properties are necessary for each material phase for heterogeneous numerical models; these properties are determined by uniaxial complex modulus tests and indirect tensile strength tests. The main objective of this study is to integrate the experimental tests and numerical models in order to better understand the fracture mechanisms of asphaltic heterogeneous materials. Experimental results and numerical simulations are compared at different test conditions with excellent agreement. The heterogeneous DEM fracture modeling approach has the potential capability to understand various crack mechanisms of quasi-brittle materials.     

CAD-consistent adaptive refinement using a NURBS-based discontinuous Galerkin method

This study concerns the development of a new method combining high-order computer-aided design (CAD)-consistent grids and adaptive refinement/coarsening strategies for efficient analysis of compressible flows. The proposed approach allows to use geometrical data from CAD without any approximation. Thus, the simulations are based on the exact geometry, even for the coarsest discretizations. Combining this property with a local refinement method allows to start computations using very coarse grids and then relies on dynamic adaption to construct suitable computational domains. The resulting approach facilitates interactions between CAD and computational fluid dynamics solvers and focuses the computational effort on the capture of physical phenomena, since geometry is exactly taken into account. The proposed methodology is based on a discontinuous Galerkin method for compressible Navier-Stokes equations, modified to use nonuniform rational B-Spline representations. Local refinement and coarsening are introduced using intrinsic properties of nonuniform rational B-Spline associated with a local error indicator. A verification of the accuracy of the method is achieved and a set of applications are presented, ranging from viscous subsonic to inviscid trans- and supersonic flow problems.