Numerical simulation of particle dynamics in different flow regimes in a rotating drum

Flow regimes in a horizontal rotating drum are important to industrial applications but the underlying mechanisms are not clear. This paper investigated the granular flow dynamics in different regimes using the discrete element method. By varying the rotation speed and particle-wall sliding friction...

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Main Authors: Yang, R., Yu, A., McElroy, Luke, Bao, J.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Elsevier 2008
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/22076
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author Yang, R.
Yu, A.
McElroy, Luke
Bao, J.
author_facet Yang, R.
Yu, A.
McElroy, Luke
Bao, J.
author_sort Yang, R.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Flow regimes in a horizontal rotating drum are important to industrial applications but the underlying mechanisms are not clear. This paper investigated the granular flow dynamics in different regimes using the discrete element method. By varying the rotation speed and particle-wall sliding friction over a wide range, six flow regimes were produced. The macroscopic and microscopic behaviour of the particle flow were systematically analysed. The results showed that the angle of repose of the moving particle bed had a weak dependence on the rotation speed in the slumping and rolling regimes, and increased significantly as the flow transited to the cascading and cataracting regimes. The mean flow velocity increased with the rotation speed, but the normalised velocity against the drum speed in the continuous regimes collapsed into a single curve, which can be well described by a log-normal distribution. The particle bed at low rotation speed had a similar density to those of the random loose packing, and became more dilated with the increase of the rotation speed. Similarly, the mean coordination number showed linear dependence on the drum speed. Both the collision energy and collision frequency increased with the rotation speed. However, the normalised collision energy in different regimes can be fitted with a simple scaling law. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-220762017-09-13T13:53:07Z Numerical simulation of particle dynamics in different flow regimes in a rotating drum Yang, R. Yu, A. McElroy, Luke Bao, J. Flow regimes in a horizontal rotating drum are important to industrial applications but the underlying mechanisms are not clear. This paper investigated the granular flow dynamics in different regimes using the discrete element method. By varying the rotation speed and particle-wall sliding friction over a wide range, six flow regimes were produced. The macroscopic and microscopic behaviour of the particle flow were systematically analysed. The results showed that the angle of repose of the moving particle bed had a weak dependence on the rotation speed in the slumping and rolling regimes, and increased significantly as the flow transited to the cascading and cataracting regimes. The mean flow velocity increased with the rotation speed, but the normalised velocity against the drum speed in the continuous regimes collapsed into a single curve, which can be well described by a log-normal distribution. The particle bed at low rotation speed had a similar density to those of the random loose packing, and became more dilated with the increase of the rotation speed. Similarly, the mean coordination number showed linear dependence on the drum speed. Both the collision energy and collision frequency increased with the rotation speed. However, the normalised collision energy in different regimes can be fitted with a simple scaling law. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. 2008 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/22076 10.1016/j.powtec.2008.04.081 Elsevier restricted
spellingShingle Yang, R.
Yu, A.
McElroy, Luke
Bao, J.
Numerical simulation of particle dynamics in different flow regimes in a rotating drum
title Numerical simulation of particle dynamics in different flow regimes in a rotating drum
title_full Numerical simulation of particle dynamics in different flow regimes in a rotating drum
title_fullStr Numerical simulation of particle dynamics in different flow regimes in a rotating drum
title_full_unstemmed Numerical simulation of particle dynamics in different flow regimes in a rotating drum
title_short Numerical simulation of particle dynamics in different flow regimes in a rotating drum
title_sort numerical simulation of particle dynamics in different flow regimes in a rotating drum
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/22076