Numerical Modelling for Underwater Excavation Process: A Method Based on DEM and FVM

A 3D dynamic numerical model is established for modelling the excavation process for dredging purposes. The interaction between the solid and fluid phases is realized by a specially designed DEM-FVM coupling mechanism, where the fluid-particle interaction forces, the volume fraction information and the particle information are constantly updated...

Spheres vs. rods in fluidized beds: Numerical and experimental investigations

For the past century, fluidized beds have been standard equipment in many branches of industry. In most applications they are used to manipulate granular and powder-like materials, whose particles can roughly be approximated as spheres. Therefore, numerical models and investigations have focused mainly on fluidized beds with spherical particles....

Excavation of hard deposits and rocks: On the cutting of saturated rock

As a result of the worldwide population and welfare growth, the demand for energy (oil, gas and renewable sources) and raw materials increases. In the last decades, oil and gas are produced from more and more offshore sites and deeper waters. Besides energy, the demand for diverse metals and rare earth elements increases as well. These raw...

Virtual prototyping of grabs: Co-simulations of discrete element and rigid body models

This dissertation has investigated whether a combination of DEM and MBD can be used for a reliable and accurate environment for predicting grab unloading performance. A grab is a type of bulk material handling equipment used for unloading materials such as coal and iron ore from vessel to shore. Both a grab and iron ore pellets have been...

Modelling dust liberation in bulk material handling systems

Dust has negative effects on the environmental conditions, human health as well as industrial equipment and processes. In this thesis, the transfer point of a belt conveyor as a bulk material handling system with a very high potential place for dust liberation is studied. This study is conducted based on experimental and numerical methods as...

DEM-CFD Modelling of the ironmaking blast furnace

Computational Modelling of Particle Packing in Concrete

Physical particle packing is becoming a hot topic in concrete technology as more and more types of granular materials are used in concrete either for ecological or for engineering purposes. Although various analytical methods have been developed for optimum mixture design, comprehensive information on particle packing properties is still missing...

Initial porosity of random packing: Computer simulation of grain rearrangement

The initial porosity of clastic sediments is poorly defined. In spite of this, it is an important parameter in many models that describe the diagenetic processes taking place during the burial of sediments and which are responsible for the transition from sand to sandstone. Diagenetic models are of importance to predict the sub-seismic...