DEM analysis of flow dynamics of cohesive particles in a rotating drum

Abstract

Cohesive particles, prevalent in chemical and metallurgical industries, necessitate a comprehensive investigation of their behavior. This study employs the discrete element method to predict the motion of two distinct types of cohesive particles within a three-dimensional rotating drum, with the evaluation of the influence of rotational speed on particle-level parameters, encompassing velocities, angular velocities, dispersion coefficients, and contact forces. The findings reveal that wet particles treated with a honey-additive exhibit heightened inter-particle bonding, resulting in flatter surfaces on inclined planes. Cohesive particles within the active region attain greater translational velocities than their counterparts within the passive region. The x-direction dispersion intensity of water-additive particles in both the active and passive regions increases from 2.41 × 10−4 m2/s and 9.99 × 10−5 m2/s to 5.75 × 10−4 m2/s and 3.34 × 10−4 m2/s, respectively, with the increase in rotational speed from 5.6 RPM to 11.6 RPM. Particles with a honey-additive demonstrate larger dispersion coefficients along the x- and y-axes, as well as higher velocities and contact forces, albeit lower angular velocities in contrast to particles treated with a water-additive. Furthermore, an escalation in rotational speed amplifies the dispersion coefficients and contact forces of the cohesive particles. The rotating kinetic energy of the particles with water-additive and honey-additive increases from 0.005 J and 0.01 J to 0.01 J and 0.045 J, respectively.