Mini-Symposia

The applications and algorithms of coupled MPM-DEM

Most of the processes and phenomena in nature and industry (e.g., fluidized beds, marine engineering, geological hazards, etc) involve complex Multi-phase, Multi-process and Multi-scale problems (“3M”). In recent years, with the rapid development of numerical methods and computer hardware, more and more researchers have taken advantage of DEM itself to develop the coupling algorithms with other numerical methods (e.g., FEM, MPM, SPH and LBM, etc.). So that we can better carry out the studies and analysis of these complex processes from the physical and mechanical mechanisms of their “3M” than only one numerical method.

This mini-symposia focuses on the developing coupled MPM-DEM algorithm as well as their application in industry or natural field. The objectives of the presentation include but not limited to:

  • Development of the coupled DEM algorithms with MPM and so on.
  • The parallel technologies for the algorithms, such as MPI, GPU and so on.
  • Case study using the coupled MPM-DEM algorithms, such as the application in the industry fields and natural hazards (landslide, tsunami, debris flow and so on).

Organisers:
Wen-Jie Xu
Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Jidong Zhao
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
Chuanqi Liu
Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

 

DEM for Understanding Complex Flows in Gas-Particle Systems

This symposium aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of complex flows in gas-particle systems using DEM related novel computational methods. It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners, and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the fields of gas-particle systems.

  • Fully Resolved Computational Methods: FV-DEM, FE-DEM, LBM-DEM, SPH-DEM, etc.
  • Unresolved Computational Methods: CFD-DEM, LBM-DEM, MP-PIC, etc.
  • Conceptual, Constructive, Empirical, Experimental, or Theoretical Work on Gas-Particle Systems.
  • Engineering and Industrial Applications Involving Gas-Particle Flows.

Invited speakers:
Charley Wu
University of Surrey, United Kingdom
Dianyu E
Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Nanchang, China
Xinxin Tang
UNSW, Sydney, Australia
Ruifeng Hu
Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
Kimiaki Washino
Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
Kaiwei Chu
Shandong University, Jinan, China
Yongzhi Zhao
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Kun Xue
Beijing Institute of Technology, China

Organisers:
Limin Wang
Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Fengxian Fan
Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Kun Xue
Beijing Institute of Technology, China

 

Advances in open-source DEM software

As problems get more and more complicated it is becoming increasingly difficult for PhD students to make progress by developing their own codes from scratch. Therefore, more and more we have to build on the previous generation of work, not only in terms of ideas but also with respect to software. This means going forward, large multi-developer open-source packages will become essential tools to remain at the forefront of the field.

There are many open-source codes for simulating particles, all with their own unique features. This session will serve the dual purpose of bringing together the developers of different open-source codes and also be a one-stop shop for potential new users.

Topics that could be covered during the mini symposium include, but are not limited to:

  • Overview of open-source DEM software.
  • Advancements in modelling complex granular systems.
  • Validation and verification of open-source DEM software.
  • Open-source software for DEM-based simulation of industrial processes.

Invited speakers:
Bruno Chareyre – YADE – An open-source framework for open-science
Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, 3SR, Grenoble, France
Anthony Thornton – MercuryDPM: Fast, flexible, particle simulations
Department of Fluid and Thermal Engineering, University of Twente, The Netherlands
Remy Mozul – LMGC90
LMGC (UM-CNRS), France

Organisers:
Thomas Weinhart
Department of Fluid and Thermal Engineering, University of Twente, The Netherlands
Vasileios Angelidakis
Institute for Multiscale Simulation, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany

 

DEM-based hybrid algorithms for particle-laden flows

The discrete element method (DEM) has become a popular choice to model processes involving granular materials and particulate systems, providing detailed information about the motion, forces, and interactions among individual particles with arbitrary shapes (e.g. spheres, rods, ellipsoids) and specific physical properties (e.g. charge, surface roughness). In DEM simulations, contact models are essential in describing the interactions (e.g. friction, adhesion, elastic) between particles and between particles and surfaces. In particle-laden flows, DEM is coupled to fluid solvers like the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), finite volume method (FVM), and direct numerical simulation DNS, to name a few. Furthermore, DEM can be coupled with external fields such as electric and magnetic fields to simulate various complex physics problems involving multiscale, multi-component, and many-body interactions such as electrophoresis, reactive flows, turbulence, multiphase flow, particle transport, inkjet printing, and artificial microswimmers.

This mini-symposium discusses DEM-based approaches for modelling particle-laden flows, emphasising the technical and computational challenges related to industrial and academic scale applications.

The topics of interest of this mini-symposium may include, but are not limited to:

  • Hybrid approaches combining DEM with external fields.
  • DEM application in renewable energies.
  • Porting DEM-based codes to next-generation supercomputing architectures.

Invited Speakers:
Qingguang Xie
Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (IEK-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany

Hongyang Cheng
Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands

Gaurav Nath
(1) Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nuremberg for Renewable Energy (IEK-11), Research Center Jülich, Cauerstrasse 1, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
(2) Mechanical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, 110016, India

Jens Harting
(1) Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (IEK-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Nürnberg, Germany 
(2) Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen- Nürnberg, Nürnberg, Germany

Organisers:
Othmane Aouane
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Helmholtz-Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (IEK11), Germany

 

Packings and jamming: a journey through scales

Granular materials can undergo a jamming transition: from a flowing, liquid-like state, they can develop rigidity and resist finite loads, akin to solids. The emergence of such collective behaviour from the assembly of discrete particles urges us to interrogate the mesoscale, focusing on the geometrical features of dense packings. The mechanical properties of dense granular packings are mediated by both the statistics of the contact network and the properties of individual contacts. DEM simulations provide a valuable tool to link particle properties, the characteristics of the packing and, ultimately, the macroscale mechanical response of the granulate in the jammed state.

In this mini-symposium, we will discuss the latest developments in the DEM-based investigation of packing problems and jamming in particulate systems. Additionally, we will address how these results can be harvested to develop new technologies, notably in soft-robotics.

Invited speakers:
Corey O’Hern – Structural, vibrational, mechanical properties of jammed packings of deformable particles
Professor of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Physics, Applied Physics & Graduate Program in Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, Yale University, USA
Farhang Radjai – Fabric and granular plasticity
Head of the Physics and Mechanics of Discrete Materials research group in LMGC, CNRS, University of Montpellier, France
Philipp Schönhöfer
Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, USA
Joel Clemmer
Sandia National Labs, Sandia National Laboratories, USA

Organisers:
Olfa D’Angelo
Institute for Multiscale Simulation, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
Patric Müller
Institute for Multiscale Simulation, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany

 

Advancements in additive manufacturing processes through the use of the Discrete Element Method (DEM)

Additive Manufacturing (AM) techniques have revolutionized various industries by enabling the production of complex geometries with unprecedented precision. This mini symposium proposal aims to bring together researchers and experts to discuss the intricate interplay between powder spreading, the application of the Discrete Element Method (DEM), and the dynamic phase change phenomena in additive manufacturing. By exploring these key areas, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of AM processes and pave the way for advancements in process control, material quality, and part performance.
Topics that could be covered during the mini-symposium include, but are not limited to:

  • Powder Spreading and material structure
  • Phase change dynamics in Additive Manufacturing
  • Advanced Simulation Techniques in Additive Manufacturing
  • Advanced Process Control and Optimization

Invited speakers:
Dominic Soldner
Department Maschinenbau (MB) Lehrstuhl für Technische Mechanik (LTM), Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
Juan Alvarez Naranjo
Fluid and Thermal Engineering, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
Yuan Tan
Chair of Process Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Germany

Organisers:
Sudeshna Roy
Department of Mechanical Engineering Institute of Applied Mechanics, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
Thomas Weinhart
Department of Fluid and Thermal Engineering, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands

 

SALTED: Simulation of Granular Packings via Sequential Particle Deposition

Simulating static packings through numerically solving Newton’s equation of motion is notoriously difficult due to the slow convergence of the integration schemes. For cases where the dynamics of the process is much less critical than the packing itself, Sequential Particle Deposition can be a promising alternative. In this mini-symposium, we discuss the idea of generating large packings of highly complex particles through sequential deposition and its limitations, an efficient implementation in a software package, and applications of this simulation method.

Organisers:
Thorsten Pöschel
Institute for Multiscale Simulation, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany

 

The future of open-source DEM – Discussion

Open-source software packages have exhibited rapid growth in recent years. The open availability and transparency of implementation make open-source software appealing to the various communities interested to use them directly or to develop new features on top of well-established and well-verified code. The process of developing open-source software can have many forms, as it can be a voluntary contribution to the scientific community, part of a thesis or other student project, a side hobby, or a full-time job. In the granular world, the developers’ teams of open-source codes applying the Discrete Element Method (DEM) have many different sizes and shapes, with some of them organised centrally, some being completely de-centralised, or some even being a two-person job. With this diversity of roles, organisational schemes, expertise and priorities, creating links among different developers’ communities is essential in improving the overall quality and usability of open-source software, and dispelling stereotypes about their accuracy and trust-worthiness, via creating mechanisms such as formal or informal cross-code sanity-checks, benchmarking, code peer-review, sharing of good and bad experiences and practices, or direct exchange of technical knowledge. In this mini-symposium discussion session, we will review recent efforts of the open-source DEM community to work together on grants and scientific papers and discuss opportunities for further collaboration.

Invited speakers:

Daniel Barreto – Open Network on DEM simulation
Edinburgh Napier University, UK

Organisers:

Anthony Thornton
Department of Fluid and Thermal Engineering, University of Twente, The Netherlands

Bruno Chareyre
Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, 3SR, Grenoble, France