The first single work on DEM providing the information to get started with this powerful numerical modelling approach. Provides the basic details of the numerical method and the approaches used to interpret the results of DEM simulations. It will be of use to professionals, researchers and higher level students, with a theoretical overview of DEM as well as practical guidance.Selected Contents: 1.Introduction 2.Use of DEM in Geomechanics 3.Calculation of Contact Forces 4.Particle Motion 5.Particle Types 6.Boundary Conditions 7.Initial Geometry and Specimen Generation 8.Time Integration and Discrete Element Modelling 9.DEM Interpretation: A Continuum Perspective 10.Postprocessing: Graphical Interpretation of DEM Simulations 11.Basic Statisti

Particulate discrete element analysis is becoming increasingly popular for research in geomechanics as well as geology, chemical engineering, powder technology, petroleum engineering and in studying the physics of granular materials. With increased computing power, practising engineers are also becoming more interested in using this technology for analysis in industrial applications. This is the first single work on Discrete Element Modelling (DEM) providing the information to get started with this powerful numerical modelling approach. Written by an independent author with experience both in developing DEM codes and using commercial codes, this book provides the basic details of the numerical method and the approaches used to interpret the results of DEM simulations. Providing a basic overview of the numerical method, Particulate Discrete Element Modelling discusses issues related to time integration and numerical stability, particle types, contact modelling and boundary conditions. It summarizes approaches to interpret DEM data so that users can maximize their insight into the material response using DEM. The aim of this book is to provide both users and prospective users of DEM with a concise reference book that includes tips to optimize their usage. Particulate Discrete Element Modelling is suitable both for first time DEM analysts as well as more experienced users. It will be of use to professionals, researchers and higher level students, as it presents a theoretical overview of DEM as well as practical guidance on running DEM simulations and interpreting DEM simulation data.

Particulate discrete element analysis is becoming increasingly popular for research in geomechanics as well as geology, chemical engineering, powder technology, petroleum engineering and in studying the physics of granular materials. With increased computing power, practising engineers are also becoming more interested in using this technology for analysis in industrial applications. This is the first single work on Discrete Element Modelling (DEM) providing the information to get started with this powerful numerical modelling approach. Written by an independent author with experience both in developing DEM codes and using commercial codes, this book provides the basic details of the numerical method and the approaches used to interpret the results of DEM simulations. Providing a basic overview of the numerical method, Particulate Discrete Element Modelling discusses issues related to time integration and numerical stability, particle types, contact modelling and boundary conditions. It summarizes approaches to interpret DEM data so that users can maximize their insight into the material response using DEM. The aim of this book is to provide both users and prospective users of DEM with a concise reference book that includes tips to optimize their usage. Particulate Discrete Element Modelling is suitable both for first time DEM analysts as well as more experienced users. It will be of use to professionals, researchers and higher level students, as it presents a theoretical overview of DEM as well as practical guidance on running DEM simulations and interpreting DEM simulation data.

The Special Publications series is a collection of books produced from the proceedings of international symposia.

Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Discrete Element Methods, held in Santa Fe, New Mexico on September 23-25, 2002. This Geotechnical Special Publication contains 72 technical papers on discrete element methods (DEM), a suite of numerical techniques developed to model granular materials, rock, and other discontinua at the grain scale. Topics include: DEM formulation and implementation approaches, coupled methods, experimental validation, and techniques, including three-dimensional particle representations, efficient contact detection algorithms, particle packing schemes, and code design. Coupled methods include approaches to linking solid continuum and fluid models with DEM to simulate multiscale and multiphase phenomena. Applications include fundamental investigations of granular mechanics; micromechanical studies of powder, soil, and rock behavior; and large-scale modeling of geotechnical, material processing, mining, and petroleum engineering problems.

This book brings together in a single volume various methods and skills for particle-scale or discrete-element numerical simulation of granular media. It covers a broad range of topics from basic concepts and methods towards more advanced aspects and technical details applicable to the current research on granular materials. Discrete-element simulations of granular materials are based on four basic models (molecular dynamics, contact dynamics, quasi-static and event driven) dealing with frictional contact interactions and integration schemes for the equations of dynamics. These models are presented in the first chapters of the book, followed by various methods for sample preparation and monitoring of boundary conditions, as well as dimensionless control parameters. Granular materials encountered in real life involve a variety of compositions (particle shapes and size distributions) and interactions (cohesive, hydrodynamic, thermal) that have been extensively covered by several chapters. The book ends with two applications in the field of geo-materials.

This book is devoted to the Discrete Element Method (DEM) technique, a discontinuum modelling approach that takes into account the fact that granular materials are composed of discrete particles which interact with each other at the microscale level. This numerical simulation technique can be used both for dispersed systems in which the particle-particle interactions are collisional and compact systems of particles with multiple enduring contacts. The book provides an extensive and detailed explanation of the theoretical background of DEM. Contact mechanics theories for elastic, elastic-plastic, adhesive elastic and adhesive elastic-plastic particle-particle interactions are presented. Other contact force models are also discussed, including corrections to some of these models as described in the literature, and important areas of further research are identified. A key issue in DEM simulations is whether or not a code can reliably simulate the simplest of systems, namely the single particle oblique impact with a wall. This is discussed using the output obtained from the contact force models described earlier, which are compared for elastic and inelastic collisions. In addition, further insight is provided for the impact of adhesive particles. The author then moves on to provide the results of selected DEM applications to agglomerate impacts, fluidised beds and quasi-static deformation, demonstrating that the DEM technique can be used (i) to mimic experiments, (ii) explore parameter sweeps, including limiting values, or (iii) identify new, previously unknown, phenomena at the microscale. In the DEM applications the emphasis is on discovering new information that enhances our rational understanding of particle systems, which may be more significant than developing a new continuum model that encompasses all microstructural aspects, which would most likely prove too complicated for practical implementation. The book will be of interest to academic and industrial researchers working in particle technology/process engineering and geomechanics, both experimentalists and theoreticians.