The Influence of Particle Size on Sliding Wear of a Convex Pattern Surface

Sliding wear of bulk handling equipment (e.g., shovel bucket, mill and transfer chute) can be dramatically reduced by using a convex pattern surface compared to a flat surface, by adjusting the flow behavior of particles moving along the convex pattern surface. To study the effect of particle size relative to the dimensions of the convex pattern...

Transport receptor occupancy in nuclear pore complex mimics

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) regulate all molecular transport between the nucleus and the cytoplasm in eukaryotic cells. Intrinsically disordered Phe-Gly nucleoporins (FG-Nups) line the central conduit of NPCs to impart a selective barrier where large proteins are excluded unless bound to a transport receptor (karyopherin; Kap). Here, we...

Nonlinear coarse-graining models for 3D printed multi-material biomimetic composites

Bio-inspired composites are a great promise for mimicking the extraordinary and highly efficient properties of natural materials. Recent developments in voxel-by-voxel 3D printing have enabled extreme levels of control over the material deposition, yielding complex micro-architected materials. However, design complexity, very large degrees of...

Charge-dependent interactions of monomeric and filamentous actin with lipid bilayers

The cytoskeletal protein actin polymerizes into filaments that are essential for the mechanical stability of mammalian cells. In vitro experiments showed that direct interactions between actin filaments and lipid bilayers are possible and that the net charge of the bilayer as well as the presence of divalent ions in the buffer play an...

A novel approach to MP-PIC: Continuum particle model for dense particle flows in fluidized beds

A novel approach to Multiphase-Particle-in-Cell (MP-PIC), called Continuum Particle Model (CPM), is developed for dense gas-particle flows. CPM has high computational speed, comparable to that of MP-PIC, but a robustness and accuracy closer to that of a Discrete Element Model (DEM). The gas phase is treated as a continuum phase and particles...

A hybrid particle-geometric scaling approach for elasto-plastic adhesive DEM contact models

The computation time of Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations increases exponentially when particle size is reduced or the number of particles increased. This critical challenge limits the use of DEM simulation for industrial applications, such as powder flow in silos. Scaling techniques can offer a solution to reduce computation time. In...

Potential of DEM for investigation of non-consolidated flow of cohesive and elongated biomass particles

The evaluation of the flow properties of biomass powders is essential for the design of handling systems within a thermochemical valorization context. The Discrete Element Method (DEM) is a valuable tool for simulating the bulk behavior of granular materials that has rarely been used for biomass feedstocks. This work focuses on the numerical...

Longshore transport of coarse-grained material: An assessment of the longshore transport behavior of the dynamic rock slope at Maasvlakte 2

The consortium Projectorganisatie Uitbreiding Maasvlakte (PUMA), consisting out of Van Oord and Boskalis, constructed a hard sea defence for the protection of Maasvlakte 2, which is the expansion of the Port of Rotterdam. This hard sea defence consists of a Dynamic Rock Slope (DRS) with a Block Dam (BD) situated in front of it. The BD is build...

Interactions between model inclusions on closed lipid bilayer membranes

Protein inclusions in the membranes of living cells interact via the deformations they impose on that membrane. Such membrane-mediated interactions lead to sorting and self-assembly of the inclusions, as well as to membrane remodelling, crucial for many biological processes. For the past decades, theory, numerical calculations and experiments...

Multiscale simulation of elongated particles in fluidised beds

In this paper, we present a number of key numerical methods that can be used to study elongated particles in fluid flows, with a specific emphasis on fluidised beds. Fluidised beds are frequently used for the production of biofuels, bioenergy, and other products from biomass particles, which often have an approximate elongated shape. This...

DEM particle upscaling for large-scale bulk handling equipment and material interaction

Purpose: The development of bulk material handling equipment can be accelerated and made less expensive when testing of virtual prototypes is adopted. However, the modelling of a grab unloader requires a large volume (77 m3) of iron ore pellets, making the computational costs prohibitive. This paper investigates the extent to which the...

A CFD study in a side heated cavity filled with coarse grained porous media

A CFD study is made to get more insight in the flow, temperature and heat distribution in a side heated cavity filled with coarse grained porous media. This was investigated for 105≤Ra≤107 and 0.01≤Ri≤100. The question is how the solid beads influence the heat transfer. It was found that the spheres dampen the flow, influence the local heat...

Application of physical and numerical simulations for interpretation of peripheral coarse grain structure during hot extrusion of AA7020 aluminum alloy

In this research, hot compression test is used to simulate the metallurgical phenomena occurring in the peripheral part of AA7020 aluminum alloy extrudates during hot extrusion and leading to the formation of the peripheral coarse grain (PCG) structure. The temperature profiles at a tracking point in the peripheral part of extrudates are...

Self-Assembly of Facial Oligothiophene Amphiphiles

Organized ?-conjugated oligothiophene structures in water are highly promising building blocks to create a vast variety of smart and functional electronic systems. Such materials already found application in biological and chemical sensors, organic light-emitting diodes and photovoltaic devices. The high level of molecular order in such devices...

A global scale intervention, A local scale integration: Developing the empty course grains of Tehran South

“While it is important to identify world cities, it is also important to identify the lack of connectivity. Silences are as interesting as utterances. They tell us much about the process of globalization.” (Short, 2008) Silences refer to the cities whose connectivity is less than that predicted by their population, and they are called Black...

Modeling of Microstructural Evolution during Homogenization and Simulation of Transient State Recrystallization leading to Peripheral Coarse Grain Structure in Extruded Al-4.5Zn-1Mg Alloy