Model of heating and ignition of conductive polydisperse powder in electrostatic discharge

Heating of a conductive polydisperse powder by electrostatic discharge (ESD) is modelled numerically. Powder packing is described using a discrete element model; powder resistance is defined by geometry of particle contacts and properties of plasma produced by electrical breakdown between neighbour particles. A set of parametric calculations in combination with experimental data is used to determine necessary adjustable model parameters. The model predicts the temperature for each powder particle resulting from its heating by the ESD current. Location and packing of individual particles within the powder affects greatly their achieved temperatures and thus the likelihood of ignition. Consistently with experiments, a trend showing that smaller particles are generally heated to higher temperatures at a given ESD energy is detected for coarser powders; this trend becomes less clear for finer powders with particle sizes less than the breakdown distance given by the Paschen curve in air. Comparison of the experimental data and calculations suggests that the transition from single particle to cloud combustion occurs when the distance between the particles ignited by ESD becomes close to the flame size for the individual burning particle. This distance, inversely proportional to the number of ignited particles, is primarily determined by the ESD energy.     

Investigating magnetorheological properties of a mixture of two types of carbonyl iron powders suspended in an ionic liquid

In this work, properties of a magnetorheological (MR) fluid, prepared by dispersing a mixture of two types of carbonyl iron powders (CIPs) of different sizes, in an ionic liquid (N,N-diethyl-N-methyl-N-(2-methoxyethyl) ammonium tetrafluoroborate) that is stable from 9 °C to ca. 300 °C, have been investigated. At first, the random packing density of the mixture was computed as function of mixing ratio of CIP, in order to find out the tendency of the variation. Next, several mixtures, all having the same weight, were prepared at various mixing ratios and dispersed in the ionic liquid, in order to experimentally find the most suitable mixing ratio of CIP. Then, the magnetic clusters of the synthesized MR fluids were observed by using a digital microscope equipped with two permanent magnets, whereas the MR properties were investigated by using a rotation viscometer equipped with a solenoid coil. The experimental results pointed out that the MR fluid with 60 wt% fraction of large particles exhibited the highest MR response.     

Discrete element modelling of large soil deformations under heavy vehicles

This paper addresses the challenges of creating realistic models of soil for simulations of heavy vehicles on weak terrain. We modelled dense soils using the discrete element method with variable parameters for surface friction, normal cohesion, and rolling resistance. To find out what type of soils can be represented, we measured the internal friction and bulk cohesion of over 100 different virtual samples. To test the model, we simulated rut formation from a heavy vehicle with different loads and soil strengths. We conclude that the relevant space of dense frictional and frictional-cohesive soils can be represented and that the model is applicable for simulation of large deformations induced by heavy vehicles on weak terrain.     

颗粒材料三维应力路径下的接触组构特性

颗粒材料的宏观应力变形特征与其微观接触力、组构等紧密相关.一般而言,强接触系统属于颗粒内部体系的传力结构,其对应的组构张量是影响宏观应力性质的重要因素.细观数值方法(如离散单元法)能够反映物理试验的基本规律,并且可以方便地提取宏微观数据来研究颗粒体系的应力变形机制.采用离散单元法(discrete element method,DEM)进行一系列等$p$等$b$应力路径下颗粒材料的真三轴试验,在此基础上研究了三维应力路径下颗粒材料的宏微观力学参数的演化过程、三维组构张量与应力张量多重联系以及强接触体系反映的宏观应力特征.研究表明:颗粒体系偏应力峰值状态和临界状态均存在与加载路径无关的宏微观特征;三维应力路径下组构张量与应力张量存在非共轴性,但其联合不变量演化过程表现出加载路径无关的特征;与弱接触系统的组构张量相比,强接触系统的组构张量更能反映宏观应力张量的特征;强弱接触体系的组构张量对颗粒体系宏观响应的贡献不同,其分界点存在一定取值范围,但采用平均接触力较为简单合理.      

铁路道床有砟-无砟过渡段动力特性的DEM-FEM耦合分析

针对铁路道床有砟-无砟过渡段的结构特点,采用离散元-有限元耦合模型分析散体道砟和无砟道床间过渡段的动力特性。散体道砟道床和无砟道床分别采用离散元方法 DEM和有限元方法 FEM模拟,而在过渡段将道砟颗粒嵌入无砟道床以增加道砟颗粒与无砟道床间的咬合力,并在离散元和有限元耦合区域实现了力学参数的传递。采用以上DEM-FEM耦合方法对有砟-无砟道床及其过渡段在列车荷载作用下的沉降过程进行了数值分析。计算结果表明,离散元方法中道砟颗粒间的力链呈现非对称梯形分布,其与有限元方法中的应力分布趋势一致;采用嵌入式道砟颗粒的方法可以增加有砟-无砟过渡段道砟间的咬合力,有效约束道砟颗粒的位移,减少有砟-无砟道床间的沉降差异。本文计算模型可以合理地分析有砟道床的力链分布以及无砟道床的应力分布,确定列车荷载下道床有砟-无砟过渡段的动力学行为。     

Exploring the undrained cyclic behavior of methane-hydrate-bearing sediments using CFD–DEM

Based on the mechanical experimental results of methane hydrate (MH), a bond contact model considering the rate-dependency of MH is proposed. A CFD–DEM scheme considering fluid compressibility is used to simulate a series of undrained cyclic shear tests of numerical methane-hydrate-bearing sediment (MHBS) samples. The dynamic behavior, including stress–strain relationship, dynamic shear modulus, and damping ratio, is investigated. In addition, the force chains, contact fabric and averaged pure rotation rate (APR) are examined to investigate the relationships between micromechanical variables and macromechanical responses in the DEM MH samples. The effects of temperature, confining pressure and MH saturation are also analyzed. Due to the micro-structural strengthening by the MH bonds, no obvious change in microscopic quantities is observed, and the samples remain at the elastic stage under the applied low-shear stress level. When confining pressure and MH saturation increase, the dynamic elastic modulus increases, while the damping ratio decreases. An increasing temperature (leading to weakening of MH bonds) can lower the dynamic elastic modulus, but has almost no impact on the damping ratio. On the contrary, an increasing cyclic shear stress level lowers the damping ratio, but has almost no effect on the dynamic elastic modulus.     

CFETR水冷包层两元混合增殖球床流动特性研究

作为中国聚变工程实验堆(CFETR)候选包层之一的水冷包层(WCCB),拟采用不同尺寸的两元混合增殖球床以增加球床的填充率,从而满足氚增殖比(TBR)要求。采用离散元方法(DEM)建立了满足中子学要求的CFETR水冷包层两元球床填充结构,通过CFD计算分析获取了氦气在球床颗粒间隙之间的流动特性,包括孔隙率分布、速度分布和压降等。     

基于扩展多面体的离散单元法及其作用于圆桩的冰载荷计算

对于具有复杂几何形态的多面体单元,线性接触模型不能准确地计算不同接触模式下的作用力,且接触变形和作用力方向也不易判断.基于闵可夫斯基和(Minkowski sum)方法的扩展多面体单元能够准确描述非规则颗粒单元的几何形态,并可精确计算单元间的接触碰撞作用.该方法具有接触判断简单、计算效率高的特点.它将基本多面体和扩展球体相叠加以形成具有光滑棱边和角点的扩展多面体单元.考虑扩展多面体单元相互作用过程中角点、棱边和平面之间的不同接触模式,发展了相应的非线性黏弹性接触模型. 该接触模型将不同接触模型下的法向刚度统一表述为单元接触中接触点处等效曲率半径的函数;黏滞力和切向弹性力接触模型则借鉴球体单元非线性接触模型的处理方法. 为检验扩展多面体的可靠性,对碎冰区冰块对圆桩结构的冰载荷进行了离散元分析. 采用沃洛诺伊(Voronoi)切割算法获得了碎冰的初始随机分布状态,并考虑了海冰在运动过程中的海水浮力和拖曳力.计算表明该扩展多面体单元可描述海冰在海流拖曳下的运动过程以及圆桩结构的动冰力特性.在此基础上进一步分析了冰速和冰块尺寸对圆桩冰力的影响,并确定了冰力在圆桩上的分布规律. 最后,讨论了目前扩展多面体单元在计算冰载荷方面的局限性和改进方法.      

Investigation of elemental shape for 3D DEM modeling of interaction between soil and a narrow cutting tool

Discrete Element Method (DEM) has been applied in recent studies of soil cutting tool interactions in terramechanics. Actual soil behavior is well known to be inexpressible by simple elemental shapes in DEM, such as circles for 2D or spheres for 3D because of the excessive rotation of elements. To develop a more effective model for approximating real soil behavior by DEM, either the introduction of a rolling resistance moment for simple elemental shape or the combination of simple elements to form a complex model soil particle shape cannot be avoided. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of elemental shape on the cutting resistance of soil by a narrow blade using 3D DEM. Six elemental shapes were prepared by combining unit spheres of equal elemental radius. Moreover, cutting resistance was measured in a soil bin filled with air-dried sand to collect comparative data. The elemental shape, with an axial configuration of three equal spheres overlapped with each radius, showed similar results of soil cutting resistance to those obtained experimentally for the six elemental shapes investigated.     

成分无序颗粒体系中切向力的分布

采用离散元模拟研究成分无序颗粒体系中切向力的几率分布.将切向力分为主切向力和次切向力分别进行统计,结果表明主切向力与次切向力服从不同的分布.随着缺陷率的增加,主切向力由近似的正态分布变为双峰状的分布,最后变为单峰状的分布;而次切向力总是指数型分布.通过理论计算和模拟讨论了切向力分布,说明缺陷率较大的成分无序体系与结构无序体系有类似的力分布规律.