(190l) Discrete Element Model (DEM) Material Calibration Using Grid Parallel Computing

The predictive power of a DEM simulation depends on the degree to which the parameter values in the chosen DEM material model produce the desired level of approximation of physical bulk particle behavior. A good way of finding the best parameter values is through calibration using simulated and physical bulk tests to characterize the bulk behavior of interest. DEM material model calibration is a method to adjust DEM model parameters to find the best match between the results of simulations and physical bulk particle tests. Many hundreds of simulations may be required in order to determine the optimum parameter values for the DEM material model. This poster presents a Grid Parallel approach to implementing the calibration process involving carrying out a series of different simulations in parallel on a grid of compute nodes, and its application in bulk material characterization for the purposes of DEM simulation.