EDEM Research Spotlight- Energy Distribution and Breakage of Particles in Comil Unit Using Discrete Element Modeling
Altair Employee- RESEARCHER
- Nirupaplava Metta
- INSTITUTE
- Rutgers University, USA
- DEPARTMENT
- Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
- SUPERVISOR
- M. Ierapetritou & R. Ramachandran
- TIMELINE
- 03/2016 - 11/2016
In this research project, EDEM was used to setup a discrete element model of a continuous comil unit. Granule breakage was setup using EDEM API. Simulations were run at various impeller speeds and Energy distribution data calculated from normal and tangential forces for various granule size classes was obtained. This data was used in a population balance model via the use of an energy based kernel.
RESULTS
Energy distribution data from the DEM simulations along with lab scale experimental data was used to calibrate a population balance model (PBM) and obtain material specific parameters constituted in an energy based kernel. A mechanistically motivated breakage kernel is thus obtained via a multiscale framework that utilizes capabilities from DEM, PBM as well as experimental data.
Simulation video of granule system in comil unit
Fig. 1. Comil unit model setup in EDEM
EDEM is one of the most user friendly software packages available for DEM. The strength of EDEM also lies in its superior user interface as well as in organized, detailed technical documentation available, that I found extremely useful during this project. I would like to extend special thanks to Stephen Cole and the rest of EDEM technical team for their timely and prompt responses to multiple technical queries during the project.
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