Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jul 1;15(1):20477.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-04592-2.

DEM calibration insights on the role of particle shape for sub 2 mm particles

Jan Diviš  1 , David Žurovec  2 , Álvaro Ramírez-Gómez  3 , Jakub Hlosta  2 , Jiří Rozbroj  2 , Kamila Pokorná  2 , Jan Nečas  2 , Jiří Zegzulka  2
Affiliations

DEM calibration insights on the role of particle shape for sub 2 mm particles

Jan Diviš et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

This study introduces a comprehensive calibration technique for discrete element method (DEM) simulations. Its focus is on particles smaller than 2 mm and this showcase shows comparison between spherical and polyhedral particle shape calibration. Very fine powders or particulate materials with small particles are usually calibrated with upscaling. Unfortunately, some applications are dependent heavily on a quite precise particle size range, such as abrasion, crushing, pneumatic conveying, feeding, and dosing. Traditional DEM simulations often rely on spherical or multi-spherical particle models, which lack the precision needed, particularly due to the surface waviness introduced in the latter case. This limitation impacts dynamic industrial applications like mixing, hopper discharge, and abrasion. To address this gap, we present a comparative calibration approach for spherical and polyhedral particles, using silica sand as the test material. The calibration combines static and dynamic parameters such as rolling resistance, particle-to-particle restitution, and wall friction, validated through experiments on a powder flow calibration stand. Results revealed significant differences in flow dynamics, highlighting the enhanced realism of polyhedral models despite increased computational demands. This work provides a comprehensive framework for DEM calibration of fine particulate materials, specifically validated for particle sizes between 400 and 1500 µm, improving simulation accuracy and extending applicability across various industrial processes.

Keywords: Calibration technique; Discrete element method; Non-spherical particles; Polyhedral particles; Sphere.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Shape parameters obtained with the CAMSIZER 3D.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
3D design of the particle flow calibration (PFC) stand.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The experimental evaluation of individual parameters obtained from the powder flow calibration (PFC) stand.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Jenike direct shear tester for measuring the wall friction angle.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
The coefficient of restitution experimental stand.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Particle size distributions (volume q3 and cumulative Q3).
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Graph of wall friction curves for silica sand.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Comparison of the PFC experiment (left), virtual calibration of silica sand behaviour—spherical particles (right), and their overlap (centre).
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Comparison of the PFC experiment (left), virtual calibration of silica sand KPB behaviour—polyhedral particles (right), and their overlap (centre).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Cundall, P. A. & Strack, O. D. L. A discrete numerical model for granular assemblies. Géotechnique29, 47–65 (1979).
    1. Zhao, J., Zhao, S. & Luding, S. The role of particle shape in computational modelling of granular matter. Nat. Rev. Phys.5, 505–525. 10.1038/s42254-023-00617-9 (2023).
    1. Dziugys, A. & Peters, B. A new approach to detect the contact of two-dimensional elliptical particles. Int. J. Numer. Anal. Methods Geomech.25, 1487–1500. 10.1002/nag.180 (2001).
    1. Favier, J. F., Abbaspour-Fard, M. H., Kremmer, M. & Raji, A. O. Shape representation of axi-symmetrical, non-spherical particles in discrete element simulation using multi-element model particles. Eng. Comput.16, 467–480. 10.1108/02644409910271894 (1999).
    1. Sinnott, M. D. & Cleary, P. W. The effect of particle shape on mixing in a high shear mixer. Comput. Part. Mech.3, 477–504. 10.1007/s40571-015-0065-4 (2016).

LinkOut - more resources