Author(s)

Takuya Uehara

Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Yamagata University, Yonezawa, Japan.

A numerical method for simulating the stability of particle-packing structures is presented. The packing structures were modeled on the basis of face-centered cubic (fcc) and body-centered cubic (bcc) structures, and the stability of these structures was investigated using the distinct element method. The interaction between the particles was simplified by considering repulsive, adhesive, and damping forces, and the stability against the gravitational force was simulated. The results under a certain set of parameters showed characteristic deformation when the particles were arranged in an fcc array. Focusing on the local structure, the resulting model was divided into several domains: The bottom base, four top corners, and intermediate domains. The bottom base notably became a body-centered tetragonal (bct) structure, which corresponds to a uniaxially compressed bcc structure. Conversely, the models based on the bcc arrangement were structurally stable, as no specific deformation was observed, and a monotonously compressed bct structure was obtained. Consequently, the bcc arrangement is concluded to be more stable against uniaxial compression, such as the gravitational force, in a particle-packing system.

Distinct Element Method, Particle Packing, Structural Stability, Geometrical Symmetry, Computer Simulation

Uehara, T. (2018) Modeling and Simulation of Particle-Packing Structures and Their Stability Using the Distinct Element Method. Open Journal of Modelling and Simulation, 6, 59-70. doi: 10.4236/ojmsi.2018.64005.