DEM with Coarse Graining: Should Same Size Parcel receive more attention? Bridging the gap in the case of size-driven segregation

Abstract

International audiencehe Discrete Element Method (DEM) has gained significant popularity as a technique for simulating granular flows. However, its high computational cost has remained a primary limitation for decades. This limitation hinders its application in simulating realistic large-scale industrial scenarios. The Coarse Graining (CG) method addresses this issue by substituting physical particles with up-scaled particles, commonly referred to as parcels. Among CG techniques, the Same Size Parcel (SSP) approach is considered the most efficient, as it achieves the greatest reduction of constituents in poly-disperse media. Nevertheless, SSP is unable to simulate size-driven phenomena, such as segregation, which significantly restricts its applicability to systems with size heterogeneity. In this context, the present article introduces a novel local model that captures size-driven segregation during Coarse Grained — Same Size Parcel (CG-SSP) simulations when in dense regime. Preliminary results from flowing chute modeling indicate highly promising outcomes, suggesting a potential advancement towards the rapid simulation of poly-disperse, large-scale particle flows