Effects of DEM Parameters and Operating Conditions on Particle Dynamics in a Laboratory Scale Rotating Disc

Abstract

Rotating discs are usually used as granulators in many industrial processes. The efficiency of the granulation process in this device is directly related to the particle motion behavior in different flow regimes. In this work, the granular flow in a rotating disc was investigated experimentally and numerically. The Discrete Element Method (DEM) was used in the simulations, while Central Composite Designs (CCD) were employed to quantify the effects of DEM input parameters and operating conditions (filling degree (FD), angle of inclination (AI), and rotational speed) on the contacts between particles. The results showed that the particle–wall static friction coefficient had the most significant impact on the studied response. Additionally, the effect of operating variables on the collision force between particles, the angle of departure and particle velocities were successfully investigated, with corresponding DEM simulation predictions. It was also verified that the simulations performed with experimentally measured DEM input parameter values were able to reproduce the flow regimes in the rotating disc.