IJPAM: Volume 62, No. 3 (2010)

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF GRANULAR FLOW
DURING FILLING AND DISCHARGING OF A SILO

W. Chuayjan$^1$, S. Pothiphan$^2$, B. Wiwatanapataphee$^3$Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama 6 Road, Bangkok, 10400, THAILAND, Y.H. Wu$^4$
$^{1,2,3}$Department of Mathematics
Faculty of Science
Mahidol University
Rama 6 Road, Bangkok, 10400, THAILAND
e-mail: scbww@mahidol.ac.th
$^{3}$Centre of Excellence in Mathematics
Faculty of Science
Mahidol University
Bangkok, 10400, THAILAND
$^4$Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Curtin University of Technology
Perth, WA 6845, AUSTRALIA
e-mail: yhwu@maths.curtin.edu.au


Abstract.In this study, we simulate the static and dynamic processes of granular flow during filling and discharging of a vertical-sided silo with conical hopper bottom. The granular material is an assembly of 7,500 soybeans. Based on the discrete element method, the governing equations for the granular flow are solved by the centred finite difference scheme. The effects of inlet flow rate and bottom angles on pressure distribution on the hopper wall throughout the static process of material filling into the silo are investigated. Influences of bottom angle on the discharging problem in a varied mass-flow silo and a constant mass-flow silo are also discussed.

Received: June 24, 2010

AMS Subject Classification: 93A30, 76T25

Key Words and Phrases: mathematical modelling, discrete element method, granular flow, right-conical silo

Source: International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics
ISSN: 1311-8080
Year: 2010
Volume: 62
Issue: 3