NUMERICAL COUPLING BETWEEN DEM (DISCRETE ELEMENT METHOD) AND FEA (FINITE ELEMENTS ANALYSIS).

Nicolas Spogis, Ph.D.; Daniel Nasato, Eng.

ESSS Brasil www.esss.com.br

Rafael Angelo Tozzo, Eng.

VALE www.vale.com

Andrs Gonzlez - M.Sc. ; Vctor Sandoval

ESSS Chile www.esss.cl

Authors
Nicolas Spogis, Ph.D.
Business Manager E-mail: nicolas.spogis@esss.com.br

www.esss.cl

www.vale.com

Daniel Nasato, Eng.

Business Analyst E-mail: nasato@esss.com.br

Andrs Gonzlez, M.Sc.

Account Manager E-mail: andres.gonzalez@esss.cl Tel: +56 (2) 946 -1941 Cel: +56 (9) 9319-1576

Rafael Angelo Tozzo, Eng.

Mechanical Engineering E-mail: rafael.tozzo@vale.com

Vctor Sandoval
New Business Manager E-mail: victor.sandoval@esss.cl Tel: +56 (2) 946 -1941 Cel: +56 (9) 9319-1593

ESSS at a Glance
SINCE 1995
15 years providing the most comprehensive simulation solutions to the market.

LOCATIONS

WHAT WE DO
ESSS develops, markets, and supports engineering simulation software to shortening and improve product development cycles in a broad range of industries, by technology transfer or providing simulation services.

Florianpolis Brazil

So Paulo Brazil

Rio de Janeiro Brazil

Santiago Chile

NEW OFFICES

VALE at a Glance
Vale is the worlds second-largest mining and metal company in market value, with assets of more than US$ 100 billion. Vale is the global leader in the production and export of iron ore. In 2006, Vale became the worlds largest nickel producer after the acquisition of the Canadian company Inco.

Vale is a global company headquartered in Brazil, with a workforce of over 100,000 employees, including outsourced workers.

Agenda
1- Objectives

2 - DEM Method 3 - EDEM ANSYS Coupling

4- Validation & Real Case 5 - Conclusions

Objectives
Develop an 1-way coupling between

Discrete Element Method (DEM) and

Finite Element Method (FEM). Propose a numerical validation to evaluate the method accuracy. Simulate a transfer chute using the developed method to solve a real problem.

1- Objectives

2 - DEM Method 3 - EDEM ANSYS Coupling

4- Validation & Real Case 5 - Conclusions

DEM Method - Mathematics

Governing equations for the translational and rotational motion of particle i with mass mi and moment of inertia Ii:

vi and i are the translational and angular velocities of particle i, Fc ij and Mij are the contact force and torque acting on particle i by particle j or walls, Fncik is the noncontact force acting on particle i by particle k or other sources, Ff i is the particlefluid interaction force on particle i, Fgi is the gravitational force.

DEM Contact Detection

To detect contacts between particles and structure, EDEM splits the geometry in triangular surface mesh (StL file format), a 3-dimensional surface geometry; The surface is tessellated or broken down logically into a series of small triangles (facets); Each facet is described by a perpendicular direction and three points representing the vertices (corners) of the triangle.

DEM Method - Basic Numerical Cycle

Detect contact between elements Calculate contact forces on each particle

Track each particle and boundary element

Calculate body forces acting on each particle: gravity, fluid drag, electrostatic, ..

Update particle and boundary element positions

Update particle acceleration and velocity

1- Objectives

2 - DEM Method 3 - EDEM ANSYS Coupling

4- Validation & Real Case 5 - Conclusions

EDEM-ANSYS Coupling

EDEM was used as Discrete Element Method (DEM) tool and ANSYS was used as Finite Element Method (FEM) tool.

EDEM-ANSYS 1-way coupling

Setup ANSYS Model Run EDEM Model

Create Named Surface

Export EDEM Loads

Interpolate Loads Python Script And ANSYS APDL

Solve and Evaluate ANSYS Results

EDEM-ANSYS coupling methods

Developed
1-Way DEM-FEA Coupling - Steady State

Static Structural Analysis

1-Way DEM-FEA Coupling - Transient Transient Structural Analysis

Force

Under development

Displacement

2-Way DEM-FEA Coupling - Transient

Interpolation Method
Load is transferred from EDEM to ANSYS using a conservative interpolation; Each element face is divided into n number of IP faces, where n is the number of nodes on the face; IP faces are converted onto a two-dimensional polygon; Polygons on the sending side are intersected with the IP polygons on the receiving side; The polygon intersection creates many overlapped areas used to transfer loads between the two sides.

Interpolation Method
During interpolation, the total force balance over the surface is preserved. For loss less data transfer between particle and structural code, both numerical models must be coincident in space

1- Objectives

2 - DEM Method 3 - EDEM ANSYS Coupling

4- Validation & Real Case 5 - Conclusions

Validation Tests
It was built a small box with 1x1x1m in EDEM and it was created 2000 particles with 40mm diameter and 2500kg/m3 density; It was performed 3s of simulation to ensure that particles have no velocity in Y direction; Total forces (X, Y and Z) and surface mesh nodes position are exported from EDEM in a single time step. Force on Y direction calculated on EDEM was compared with analytical results.

Validation Tests
Test 1 - ANSYS coarse mesh, EDEM coarse mesh Test 2 - ANSYS intermediate mesh, EDEM coarse mesh Test 3 - ANSYS refined mesh, EDEM coarse mesh

Analytical EDEM force Test 1 - Coarse Test 2 - Intermediate Test 3 - Refined Force Y (N) 1643,8 1645,8 1575,2 1617,6 1663,5 Error % 0,1 4,3 1,7 1,1

Industrial Application
Case Vale Mina de Brucutu

Modeling of ore flows and loads on transferchutes.

A case study for Vale Brucutu using EDEM and Ansys.

Geometry
Geometry directly imported from CAD on ACIS (.sat) format.
Simulation: Conveyor belt Transfer chute Vibrating screens Dynamics: Sinusoidal translation Sinusoidal rotation Moving plane (for belt)

Material properties
Mass flow: 8492 t/h Conveyor velocity: 3.52 m/s Iron Ore density: 2500kg/m Ore / Ore Interaction:
Coeff. of Restitution: 0.4 Static friction: 0.65 Rolling friction: 0.1

Particle diameter: 25 mm
Particle shape: Single sphere Dynamic repose angle: 20 Static repose angle: 30 Moisture: 8%

Ore / Belt Interaction (rubber):

Coeff. of Restitution 0.3 Static friction: 0.6 Rolling friction: 0.05

Ore / Structure Interaction (steel)

Coeff. of Restitution 0.3 Static friction: 0.5 Rolling friction: 0.05

EDEM Factory

Mass Flow: 8492 t/h 2.3589 ton/s Aprox. 30000 particles/s

Conveyor dynamics

Belt Slice 1 Slice 2 Slice 3

Angle 18,919 19,658 9,890

Vtotal Vy Vz 3,520 m/s -3,330 m/s 1,141 m/s 3,520 m/s -3,315 m/s 1,184 m/s 3,520 m/s -3,468 m/s 0,605 m/s

Cylinder Radius 0,659 m Perimeter 4,141 m Vtotal 2,816 m/s RPS 0,680 RPM 40,805

Screen dynamics

Right Screen Left Screen

6 DOF center x y z 6,87 7,92994 11,9179 2,086 7,8384 12,0042

RPM 996 996

Hz 16,6 16,6

Angle 0,5697 0,4988

EDEM Results

EDEM Results

High impact velocities zones Wear and structural problems.

EDEM Results

Screen force distribution

High impact velocities zones (up to 7 m/s) on screen. Wear and structural problems.

High forces on chute discharge.

Unbalanced forces

Unbalanced forces on screen generated by wrong chute discharge.

Time varying forces

Total Force X (N)

6000,00

4000,00

2000,00

0,00
0,00 5,00 10,00 15,00 20,00 25,00 30,00

-2000,00

-4000,00

-6000,00

-8000,00

Total Force Y (N)

20000,00

15000,00

10000,00

5000,00

0,00 0,00 -5000,00 5,00 10,00 15,00 20,00 25,00 30,00

-10000,00

-15000,00

Total Force Z (N)

20000,00 0,00 0,00 -20000,00 -40000,00 -60000,00 -80000,00 -100000,00 -120000,00 -140000,00 5,00 10,00 15,00 20,00 25,00 30,00

Force Distribution
Total force on screen width
60000 50000 40000
30000

30.05 30.10 30.15 30.20 30.25

Total Force (N)

20000 10000 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

30.30 30.35 30.40 30.45 30.50

X direction bin group

EDEM can split the domain into small fraction (Bins) to do local analysis;
Domain was split into 8 regions in Xdirection, in order to investigate unbalanced forces.

Unbalanced forces;
Picks reaches 20 times higher forces between one extreme to another.

EDEM-ANSYS coupling Conservative Interpolation

The developed scripts and macros automatically interpolates EDEM forces (normal and tangential) on the structural elements.

Static Structural Analysis

Total Deformation The Static Analysis performed shows stresses & Strains under the yield limit OK

Equivalent Strain

Modal Analysis
Mode 1 - 3.3647 Hz Mode 2 - 6.874 Hz Mode 3 - 14.121 Hz

Mode 4 - 21.454 Hz

Mode 5 - 25.309 Hz

Mode 6 - 26.261 Hz

FFT Fast Fourier Transformation

Mode 1 - 3.3647 Hz
Total Force X (N)
6000.00

FFT Magnitude X
450000 400000 350000 300000

4000.00

3.3984

2000.00

0.00
0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00 30.00

250000 200000
150000 100000 50000 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 3.2031

-2000.00

-4000.00

-6000.00

-8000.00

Total Force Y (N)

20000.00

FFT Magnitude Y
800000 700000 3.3984

15000.00

10000.00

600000
500000

3.2031

5000.00

400000 300000
0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00 30.00

0.00

200000
100000

-5000.00

3.5938

-10000.00

0 0 1 2 3 4 5

-15000.00

Total Force Z (N)

20000.00 0.00 0.00 -20000.00 -40000.00 -60000.00 -80000.00 -100000.00 -120000.00 -140000.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00 30.00

FFT Magnitude Z
5000000 4500000 4000000 3500000 3000000 2500000 2000000 1500000 1000000 500000 0 0 1 2 3 3.203125

3.359375

RESONANCE !!!

1- Objectives

2 - DEM Method 3 - EDEM ANSYS Coupling

4- Validation & Real Case 5 - Conclusions

Bulk Handling & Structural Problems?!... Coupled SIMULATION can solve them!
Structural Problems (FEA Simulation) Bulk Handling Problems (DEM Simulation) Coupled Problems

Static & Dynamic effects of ore in equipment

Inadequate Supports Fatigue Cracking Wrong Springs (screens)

Material Degradation & Segregation

Chute Clogging & Uneven Feed Conveyor Belt misalignment Screen Performance Mineral Crushing (Particle Breakage) Spillage & Dust Rats Holes in Discharges

Unbalanced Load
High Ore impact in the equipment Structure Equipment Weight reduction Energy Efficiency

Conclusions
DEM can solve industrial bulk material handling problems.
DEM-FEA coupling can give the right structure for the best particle flow!

FEA can solve structural analysis problems.