A convex pattern surface has been proposed and optimized to reduce sliding wear of bulk handling equipment by adjusting the flow behaviour of bulk material. This study aims at modelling the surface deformation of the convex pattern sample to investigate how effectively the sample reduces sliding wear. Archard wear model and a deformable geometry technique are combined to capture the sample deformation. A short-time laboratory wear experiment is performed as a benchmark to validate the numerical model. The simulation resutls indicate that there is a linear relation between the wear volume of a plain sample and the simulated revolutions, while the convex pattern sample has a quadratic trend. The wear distribution displays that the convex pattern accounts for the majority of wear of the sample. The contact behaviour demonstrates that the convex pattern facilitates the rolling of particles, resulting in the reduction of sliding distance. The numerical results indicate that the deformed convex pattern sample leads to lower overall sliding wear than a plain sample, although its effectiveness weakens as wear evolves.

A previous study revealed that a convex pattern surface can reduce sliding wear of a transfer chute. A convex pattern surface is a flat surface outfitted with a pattern of convexes defined by five parameters. A three-level definitive screening design (DSD) method combined with discrete element method (DEM) is used to investigate the influence of the five parameters and two operational conditions on the sliding wear. Two flow regimes are distinguished, namely continuous and discontinuous flow regimes, and both flow regimes can significantly reduce the sliding wear. The particle velocity and angular velocity profiles verify the guiding and rolling effect of the convex pattern on the motion of particles. A regression model fitted based on the DSD indicates that three main factors and one interaction have significant influence on the sliding wear.

Using bionic surface on the material equipment interface of bulk handling equipment is a promising solution for abrasive wear reduction. A bionic surface is a flat surface outfitted with a pattern of convexes that disrupt the natural sliding flow of bulk material. Previous numerical work has shown a significant wear reduction of bionic surfaces compared to a smooth surface and revealed the effect degrees of geometric parameters and the interactions between them.
The aim of this paper is to design samples with an optimal convex pattern for steel plates of 100 mm by 100 mm to verify the simulation results in a test rig for industrial scale experiments in Newcastle, Australia. In order to find an optimal convex pattern, a stepwise optimization, one-factor-at-a-time, is performed by optimizing four parameters of convex patterns. The geometric convex patterns were evaluated with the aid of Discrete Element Method (DEM). The simulated material was iron ore with d50 of 4.6 mm sliding down a smooth chute transitioning into bionic surfaces of different geometric configurations. Hertz-Mindlin (no slip) model with the Archard wear model were implemented to calculate the sliding wear volume.
Considering the direct relation between the dimensions of convexes and the sizes of particles, the ratios of a0, b0, c0 and d0 to d50 were used for analysis simulation results. The results show that a chute surface with circular convexes with a radius of 6 mm (a0:d50=1.3), spaced 25 mm apart in both horizontal and vertical directions (c0:d50=5.4), is optimal in reducing wear. This sample configuration and smooth surface will be tested to verify the predictability of the simulation approach.