A coupled discrete-finite element model for bulk materials transfer simulation and PDSS structural wear prediction

Abstract

The transfer dispatch of bulk materials has been widely used in industrial and agricultural production. When applied to energy extraction and utilization, the interaction of bulk with structures causes problems such as structural wear and dust pollution during the transfer dispatch process. To address the difficulty of dynamic data collecting and monitoring in this process, a multiphase data fusion simulation approach for discrete material transfer dispatch of the digital twin system is proposed. Discrete Element Method (DEM) is used to obtain the movement of bulk material in the Powerless Dust Suppression System (PDSS) structure and its force data on the structure. With this method, this force data is loaded onto the structure for calculation based on Finite Element Method (FEM) more accurately compared to the traditional method. Under the experimental conditions, the maximum stress and strain in the PDSS structure are 34 MPa and 1.55 mm. Moreover, the numerical distribution of stress and strain is relatively continuous, and there is no sudden strong impact. The results show that the method can provide an effective solution to analyze the interaction between the bulk and the structure, and can assist in predicting the structure wear and managing the operating environment in the digital twin system.