Silo Design: Mass Flow vs Funnel Flow - DEM Case Study

[@EderANavarroPereyra]

Wow!!! incredible work!! congratulations, hope your channel keeps growing. If you need some ideas for videos, it will be nice to see a simulation of a grain dryer silo ;) Can't wait to see your next video.

[@engineerdo6568]

Hey Eder, thanks for your feedback. We appreciate :) A grain dryer silo sounds like a good example. Maybe we will do a simulation with DEM for the flow and a DEM-CFD for the warm air distribution inside. If you like, you could send us geometry via our website. :)

[@maithili6356]

Hi! Thanks for the great simulation video. But why have you assumed that the fall of particles under gravity is uniform? In a practical scenario (grains, cereal mixes, sand), when particles of different sizes start falling into a cylindrical silo, segregation always occurs and the falling material makes a cone. This segregation is the real problem leading to non-uniform discharge, irrespective of funnel angle. How can one ensure that segregation does not occur during discharge?

[@engineerdo6568]

Hey Maithili, thanks for your nice comment. Regarding you questions: depending on the silo type ( mass flow vs. funnel flow) the outflow is different in the simulation. The segregation will always happen and is in deep very much depending on the type of silo feeding system as well as the type of bulk material. Particles bigger than the average size and particles with lower density will float to the surface if a flow with open surface is happening in the application. You made some valid points here. This simulation shows just one example. Cheers!

[@maithili6356]

@@engineerdo6568 Thank you for your nice reply. Do you happen to know of any solutions that can reduce segregation just before the discharge? Or, any solutions that when installed inside a silo, will nullify or discount the segregation due to the fall of mixed size particles under gravity?

[@vivio8399]

Nice to see so much new content on your channel the last days!

[@engineerdo6568]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@joelmario3542]

Can you recommend any calculations that could be used to verify the design process?

[@Me-im3ct]

great, thanks man

[@engineerdo6568]

You are welcome :)

[@mdsujonbabu627]

could you please tell me which software used for making this video?.................................................................................................................

[@engineerdo6568]

Liggghts

[@sefabektas3720]

Hey! I have questions, is it possible to find each granule center when the filling process ends? if it is how can ı find a tutorial that explains that?

[@aldrichchieng3083]

Hi, could you possibly demonstrate how you achieved different coloured particles as it fill the silo? Is that done is paraview or Liggghts code? Thanks.

[@engineerdo6568]

Hey Aldrich, the postprocessing is done only in paraview

[@AleX-fg3su]

Very nice video to visualize these basics. Comes very handy considering own applications. Good Job! 👍🏻

[@engineerdo6568]

Glad it was helpful! :)

[@williamcamiloespinosarojas62]

Hello, I wanted to know if you can do a step-by-step tutorial on how to do the simulation since I am interested in developing a hopper and I would like to do flow type simulations according to my design measurements.

[@engineerdo6568]

Hey William, we created an online course exactly for the purpose of learning DEM and understanding what to do with Liggghts. You can find it under the academy link on our website

[@matteopaluffi3269]

very good job!!!! is it possible download the input file?

[@engineerdo6568]

We have not uploaded ever input file yet. However, you can download various examples from our website engineerdo.com. Please have a look. The changes that have to be made are not difficult if you are using the rotating drum for example

[@salihaydn3214]

there are very useful and important flow characteristics. Thank you. Which software were you using to analyze these parameters?

[@engineerdo6568]

LIGGGHTS 3.8.0 for the simulation and Paraview for the visualisation

[@drury2d8]

Hi! how does the software work with fine cohesive powders?

[@engineerdo6568]

Hey mate. That's difficult to answer. It will work, but you will have to calibrate the material flow behaviour. That's means comparing simulations to a laboratory experiment.

[@peternotebaert1475]

Very nice video. It would be nice to see what happens if extra materials are added while the silo was already partially empty. For example suppose a new layer is added at times 3:26 and at 3:39. How wll the funnel then flow?

[@engineerdo6568]

Hey Peter, expect the new particle layers to flow straight through the silo to the exit in the funnel flow case. So there will be further mixing. In the case of mass flow, the layers should settle on top, so that a FIFO flow continues to prevail.

[@richieg1965]

Excellent video, really informative! Have you considered a comparison of the mixing characteristics of twin shaft horizontal mixers versus single shaft horizontal mixers. I'm considering both types for a dry mix mortar plant.

[@engineerdo6568]

Cheers. We have video online, where we show how a mixing simulation can be done. We have done comparison sand improvements for mixers for different materials as client projects. It really depends on the bulk material you want to mix. A custom simulation could may help you...

[@montavala1]

It would be interesting to see the annular flow as well.

[@engineerdo6568]

Hey Bojan, thanks for your feedback. What do you mean with annular flow? As a post processing step?

[@montavala1]

@@engineerdo6568 Yes, in some applications there is cylindrical body inside the silo and the grains must go through the annular space between that cylinder and the silo walls.

[@zuezuraidah5737]

what software are you use?

[@engineerdo6568]

We are using Liggghts. Check out the other videos, we have a lot of examples and explanations how to use it

[@jogdand3410]

Insightful, keep it up!

[@engineerdo6568]

Thanks, will do!

[@satyalaashokkumar319]

Sumo

[@satyalaashokkumar319]

SUMO

[@joerglerch6956]

Hallo, kann OpenFOAM an sich nicht auch DEM?

[@engineerdo6568]

Nein. OpenFoam kann nur ein sehr eingeschränktes Partikelmodell berechnen, das nichts mit DEM zu tun hat. Die Kontakte werden nicht sinnvoll berechnet. Es ist eher eine grobe "Animation".

[@ajaymane8776]

Very good video and good animation. Thank you.

[@engineerdo6568]

Thanks mate. With a bit of effort good results can be achieved using DEM simulations.

[@kivegee1966]

what software did you use?

[@engineerdo6568]

LIGGGHTS 3.8.0 and Paraview for the visualisation of the results

[@kivegee1966]

@@engineerdo6568 is this free to use bro? i really need an EDEM software asap for my project

[@engineerdo6568]

LIGGGHTS is open source and free to use.

[@surajvarma9082]

Really helpful video :)

[@engineerdo6568]

Suraj, glad that you enjoyed it.