Abstract
The discrete element method (DEM), also know as the distinct element method, is a numerical method for modeling the micromechanics and dynamics of particle systems (i.e., assemblies of individual particles). It was initially developed for analyzing soil mechanics and geotechnical problems and has been adapted and used extensively to study the mechanics of bulk materials and to model powder handling and processing. In DEM, a bulk material is treated as a system consisting of many individual solid particles that interact with each other according to certain interaction laws, depending on material and interfacial properties. In this chapter, the principle of DEM is introduced, techniques developed for modeling contact detection and interaction are discussed, with a brief description of various contact models used in DEM. In addition, methods for determining the time step used in DEM and some DEM parameters are explained. Furthermore, approaches to analysis of the data generated from DEM modeling are introduced, and some typical applications of DEM are presented.
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