SIMULATION MODELLING OF BULK MATERIAL MOVEMENT IN ROTATING DRUM MACHINES

Abstract

The discrete element method (DEM), which was developed in the early 70s to simultaneously track all individual interacting particles, is widely used to evaluate and improve equipment performance in a virtual environment to avoid costly prototyping. To model a number of processes in processing industries, it is important to study the behaviour of bulk material in a rotating drum. The number of studies on this topic has increased significantly in recent years. It is worth noting the works related to the parametric analysis of the behaviour of particles during drum rotation. Among them are works on calculating the thickness of the falling layer, calculating the average residence time of the pellets, and studying the upper and lower slope angles. The research is devoted to finding ways to improve the efficiency of a drum mixer. Mixing of bulk components is an important and integral stage in almost every industrial production and a priority area of technical progress in industry, improvement of technological processes, replacement of obsolete and physically outdated equipment. To analyse the effectiveness of existing designs of a drum mixer, the paper presents the results of studying the flows of material particles in the working area of the device, which were investigated by modelling the process in the CAE complex. The paper uses the algorithm for calculating the particle flow in the EDEM software package, and develops a computational and analytical analysis of the efficiency of mixing bulk components. To improve the efficiency of a drum mixer, it is important to study the behaviour of the bulk product in the chamber for its further design to increase it to at least 90%. The developed approach can serve as an example for future simulation studies of fine particles in various processes related to the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries.