(365i) Orientation and Mixing Study of Non-Spherical Particles in a Vibrated Packed Bed System Using Discrete Element Method.

Research Interests: The discrete element method (DEM) has emerged as a key tool for modeling granular media, while the study of non-spherical particles continues to be a heated topic and significant challenge. The study uses the DEM model to examine the orientation and mixing of a binary mixture in a vibrated packed bed with a fixed amplitude and frequency. In this paper a superquadric equation is used to generate the non-spherical particles. Two types of non-spherical particles are utilized to characterize the mixing and orientation in a binary mixture: prolate particles and cuboid particles. This paper presents a detailed analysis on orientation of non-spherical particles within a vibrated packed bed system. Non-spherical particles have their preferred orientations which affect the mixing. Euler angle of orientation is used to define the orientation angle of the particles. The impact of particle shape on mixing is quantified using the subdomain mixing index (SMI). Mixing is strongly influenced by particle shape. The coordination number has also been calculated and correlated with mixing. Higher the coordination number shows better mixing. Th binary systems create conditions that define the crystalline structure, where certain non-spherical particles are trapped together in a stable crystal form at the bottom section of the bed. The results indicate that strong crystals formed at the bottom of the cuboid-sphere mixture, increasing segregation within the system, whereas weak crystallization behavior in the prolate-sphere mixture results in better mixing.