Application of the Coupled Discrete Element Modelling and Modelica Based Multi-body Dynamics in System-Level Modelling

Discrete element modelling (DEM) has been widely used in many industries to investigate the particulate interactions during the storage, handling and transport. However, in many cases, it is the interaction between the particulate assembly and the associate mechanical/electrical/hydraulic components determining the system performance, in which case DEM alone is not able to model. The research presented in this paper developed a framework for coupling DEM with multibody dynamics (MBD) to model not only inter-granular particle interactions, but also the influence of the particle contacts on other associated system components. The coupling principle and realization methods were initially discussed. A case study on sand mixing using a pneumatic motor was then performed to test the developed methodology. Results indicated that the coupled DEM-MBD framework is able to reflect system level dynamics more realistically than DEM alone.