Article
Engineering, Chemical
G. R. Chandratilleke, X. Jin, Y. S. Shen
Summary: The study uses the discrete element method to investigate the effects of particle size and density on mixing in ribbon mixers. Results show that mixing rate generally slows down with reduced particle size at a given density. The impeller torque is also influenced by particle size and density.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Angga Pratama Herman, Jieqing Gan, Zongyan Zhou, Aibing Yu
Summary: This work presents a numerical study on particle mixing and scale-up of ribbon mixers with different sizes. The study found that as the mixer size increases, the mixing performance worsens. A correlation is proposed to predict the mixing rate based on the scale-up ratio and Froude number. It was observed that the top-bottom loading condition leads to faster mixing compared to the side-side and front-back loading conditions. Additionally, the total mixing time increases significantly with larger mixer sizes. The power consumption per unit mass follows a specific order among the four mixers. The study suggests that scale-up is necessary to save time and power consumption, as well as reduce operating costs.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Xin Jin, Shuai Wang, Yansong Shen
Summary: This study investigates the effects of operating conditions and material properties on the mixing behavior of an industrial-scale ribbon mixer using the discrete element method. The results show that fill level, blade speed, and particle diameter play significant roles in influencing the final mixing degree, while particle density has an insignificant effect. A regression model is proposed to predict the mixing degree, and the model adequacy and significance are confirmed. The findings and methodology of this study can be applied to optimize and improve the mixing efficiency of practical industrial mixers in future research.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yoshiharu Tsugeno, Mikio Sakai, Sumi Yamazaki, Takeshi Nishinomiya
Summary: A ribbon mixer is widely used in powder mixing in various engineering fields, but the complex structure makes it challenging to understand the mixing mechanism and optimize the design. Numerical technologies show promise in addressing these issues. Novel findings regarding the blade width for better mixing and the development of an approach for identifying convective mixing are presented in this study.
ADVANCED POWDER TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Shahab Golshan, Bruno Blais
Summary: The research focused on granular mixing in vertical ribbon mixers using discrete element method simulations. It was found that decreasing the mixer height strengthens the azimuthal motion of particles. Increasing rotation speed and inserting powder side-to-side improved mixing quality.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Xin Jin, Yansong Shen
Summary: A superquadric DEM model is developed to study the mixing behavior of nonspherical particles in an industrial U-shaped ribbon mixer. The influences of particle aspect ratio and surface blockiness on mixer performance are comprehensively evaluated. The study shows a weak dependence of mixing behavior on particle aspect ratio and a decrease in mixing degree with increased surface blockiness.
ADVANCED POWDER TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yuki Mori, Mikio Sakai
Summary: The ellipsoidal DEM/SDF model demonstrates the applicability and feasibility of non-spherical particles in industrial mixing process, which is crucial for the optimization of mixer design and operational conditions in chemical, food, and pharmaceutical engineering fields.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jiawei Han, Kai Shen, Yu Guo, Hongbing Xiong, Jianzhong Lin
Summary: A flexible ribbon-like particle model based on the Discrete Element Method (DEM) is developed for numerical modeling of biomass materials and other flexible materials. The model accurately simulates the uniaxial compression of biomass materials and investigates the effects of initial particle configuration, particle shape distribution, and particle size distribution on macroscopic and micro-structural properties.
Article
Thermodynamics
Zhijian Zuo, Tian Liu, Weihong Li, Hong Xiao, Taiping Lin, Shuguang Gong, Jianping Zhang
Summary: This study simulated the particle mixing and heat transfer process in a ribbon reactor using the three-dimensional discrete element method. The results showed that particles in the ribbon reactor experience high-speed tangential and low-speed recirculation movements, and a cold core is generated in the initial stage of heat transfer. Improving the mixing performance of granular matter can enhance the heat transfer performance, while increasing the ribbon number can slightly improve the mixing performance.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Xin Jin, Shuai Wang, Yansong Shen
Summary: This study examines the influence of different liquid properties on the mixing performance of cohesive particles in an industrial-scale U-shaped ribbon mixer. The results show that cohesive force significantly affects particle behavior during mixing. Wet mixtures have faster mixing rates and higher final mixing degrees. The influence of cohesive force becomes less significant at higher impeller speeds.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jiming Lin, Ming Bao, Feng Zhang, Jianhong Yang, Haozhen Li
Summary: This study investigates the mixing of cohesive particles in a soil mixer using the discrete element method. The results show that the mixer is suitable for mixing cohesive particles, and a lower filling level and higher speed and size of the rotating shaft lead to better mixing efficiency.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Xin Jin, Ganga Rohana Chandratilleke, Shuai Wang, Yansong Shen
Summary: This study compares the accuracy of mixing indices in a horizontal cylindrical ribbon mixer using discrete element method modeling, with the Lacey index showing the most accurate results for assessing the steady-state mixing state. This research is useful for selecting the appropriate mixing index for a specific mixture in a given mixer.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jiecai Long, Can Wang, Jingzhen Zhu, Xiaobin Zhan, Zhibin Sun, Baojun Shen, Xiwen Li
Summary: This study characterizes the mixing performances and power consumption of a twin-blade planetary mixer with non-cohesive particles using the discrete element method (DEM). The DEM model was experimentally verified for simulating particle flow and mixing kinetics. Results show that particle mixing is achieved through radial, circumferential, and vertical circulations, as well as local collisions and mergers. Increasing the absolute speed and speed ratio enhances the circulation and mixing performance but increases power consumption. The swept volume of blades plays a significant role in the mixing performance.
ADVANCED POWDER TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Xin Jin, Shuai Wang, Yansong Shen
Summary: This study investigates the impact of different impeller designs on the mixing performance in an industrial-scale U-shaped ribbon mixer using DEM simulations. The results provide insights into particle mixing behavior and offer an effective approach to assist industrial design.
ADVANCED POWDER TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Xin Jin, Yansong Shen
Summary: This review provides an overview of the current research progress in experimental and simulation works on widely used tumbler and convective mixers in particulate systems, and summarizes the research gaps for future investigations. Additionally, it mentions new development points of modern particle mixing technologies and topics. This paper comprehensively reviews the research work of mixers in particulate systems and highlights future research in the field of particle mixing.
KONA POWDER AND PARTICLE JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Di Wang, Shunhua Chen, Wei Xu, Mengyan Zang, Shinobu Yoshimura
COMPUTERS & STRUCTURES
(2020)
Article
Mechanics
Shunhua Chen, Hu Chen, Naoto Mitsume, Naoki Morita, Tinh Quoc Bui, Wei Gao, Shinobu Yoshimura
Summary: This study introduces a novel approach to address the artificial compliance issue in modelling strong adhesion between laminate layers within the cohesive zone models, focusing on interfacial cracking of thin-walled laminated composites discretized with solid-shell elements. The proposed method enforces continuities across material interfaces via Lagrange multipliers before crack onset, ensuring a smooth transition during the switch to cohesive forces. Multiple numerical examples demonstrate the accuracy and capability of this approach.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Wei Gao, Takuya Matsunaga, Guangtao Duan, Seiichi Koshizuka
Summary: The study introduces a two-way coupling method for fluid-structure interaction, utilizing the advantages of isogeometric analysis and the least-square moving particle semi-implicit method for structure deformation and fluid flow, respectively. The coupling algorithm, based on a Lagrangian framework, accurately and easily handles boundary conditions and fluid-structure interactions.
COMPUTER METHODS IN APPLIED MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Y. T. Feng, Wei Gao
Summary: The Hertz contact law is crucial in DEM for analyzing contact strain energy distribution in two linear elastic spheres. The independence feature of this law simplifies computation of contact strain energy at particle level.
Article
Engineering, Ocean
Hong-Guan Lyu, Peng-Nan Sun, Xiao-Ting Huang, Shun-Hua Chen, A-Man Zhang
Summary: This paper emphasizes the importance of removing Tensile Instability (TI) induced by negative pressures in Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations, and proposes modifications for Tensile Instability Control (TIC) and Particle Shifting Technique (PST) to simulate Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) phenomena. Different combinations of PST and TIC have varying results, with both methods being preferable for SPH simulations characterized by extremely strong negative pressures. Special modifications are needed for problems with a convex-shaped structure penetrating a free-surface in order to obtain accurate SPH results.
APPLIED OCEAN RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Mechanics
Wei Gao, Jiawen Wang, Xiaoqiang He, Y. T. Feng, Shunhua Chen, Chengyong Wang
Summary: A computational framework was established to model the impact interaction between a helmeted headform and a windshield glazing, focusing on the head injury, windshield failure, and helmet damage. The study indicated that the helmet plays a crucial role in protecting the head during impact.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Wei Gao, Xin Liu, Jie Hu, Y. T. Feng
Summary: This study introduces a novel constitutive law for the cohesive zone model to model rock fracture behavior. The proposed model is validated by simulating Brazilian, uniaxial compression, and triaxial compression tests, demonstrating its reliability and validity. Additionally, parametric studies on TBM cutter indentation cutting reveal the effects of confining stress, cutter spacing, and cutter velocity on rock fracture behavior and contact interaction.
ROCK MECHANICS AND ROCK ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Wei Gao, Xiaoqiang He, Jiawen Wang, Y. T. Feng, Chengyong Wang
Summary: A helmet is crucial for protecting the human head and windshield glazing plays a significant role as well. In oblique collisions, helmeted heads frequently collide with the laminated glass of windshields, leading to head injury, helmet failure, and windshield fracture. This study investigates the effects of impact velocities, foam liner densities, impact angles, and headform postures on the helmet's response and energy absorption during oblique collisions. The results show that higher foam liner densities or stiffness result in less energy absorption and larger maximum acceleration. The composite liner performs better than a single uniform liner, while the helmet posture has minimal effects on headform response and energy absorption.
THIN-WALLED STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Minfei Huang, Hanming Yang, Chenqi Zou, Mengyan Zang, Shunhua Chen
Summary: Interlaminar failure caused by scratches is a common damage mode in automotive coatings and is considered a potential trigger for irreversible destruction. This study aims to numerically investigate the mechanisms responsible for the complex scratch behavior of an automotive coating system, considering interfacial failure. A finite element model incorporating a large deformation cohesive zone model is developed to simulate scratch-induced debonding, and the effects of interfacial properties on the delamination phenomenon and scratch damage behavior are analyzed. The research reveals that interlaminar delamination results in significant stress redistribution, affecting the brittle and ductile damage of the coating and the formation of plowing. Parametric studies on interfacial properties demonstrate the dominance of shear strength and shear fracture energy in scratch-induced delamination.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Li Chen, Chenqi Zou, Mengyan Zang, Shunhua Chen
Summary: In this study, a finite element model is developed to analyze the single-impact failure of automotive coatings. The model employs a multi-mechanism damage model and a large deformation cohesive zone model to explain the polymer-ply and interlaminar failures of the coating, and adopts rate-dependent material models to capture the effect of impact velocity. The simulated results show that the proposed model can well reproduce the failure patterns of automotive coatings and reveal the failure mechanisms. Numerical findings demonstrate the presence of both brittle and ductile failures in the coating, and the propagation of the delamination crack occurs in three stages. Furthermore, the effects of primer mechanical properties on the impact resistance of automotive coatings are numerically investigated. This work is helpful for the design of coatings to improve their impact resistance.
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Wei Gao, Guanhua Zhao, Xiaoqiang He, Shunhua Chen, Chengyong Wang
Summary: This study presents a high-fidelity numerical approach to simulate the full process of dummy pedestrian-vehicle collision, considering the influence of other body parts on head kinematics. The impact contact interactions between a dummy head and a windshield can be simulated in a more realistic way using an intrinsic cohesive zone model. The effectiveness of the pedestrian-vehicle model and the simulation procedure is demonstrated.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMPACT ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Yifang Qin, Shunhua Chen, Mitsuteru Asai
Summary: Accurate simulations of cracks remain challenging in computational mechanics. This work presents a nodal-based Lagrange multiplier/cohesive zone method for 3D crack simulations in finite element models. The method fulfills displacement compatibility conditions before crack onset using Lagrange multipliers enforced at nodes and describes crack behavior using the cohesive zone model. It effectively addresses numerical issues and provides more accurate results than conventional methods.
ENGINEERING FRACTURE MECHANICS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Zumei Zheng, Shasha Zhou, Jun Chen, Naoto Mitsume, Shunhua Chen
Summary: This work proposes an efficient MPS/FEM coupling method for fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulations. A multi-scale multi-resolution MPS method is developed, where the fluid domain is discretized into particles of different resolutions. The method utilizes a bucket-sort-based algorithm for fast search of neighboring particles and enhances the capacity of a newly proposed ghost cell boundary model. The coupling of the multi-resolution MPS method with FEM is demonstrated to be accurate and efficient through numerical examples.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Wei Gao, Y. T. Feng, Chengyong Wang
Summary: An isogeometric/multi-sphere discrete-element coupling method is proposed for modeling contact or impact between structures and particles with complex shape. The method combines the advantages of the multi-sphere discrete element method and isogeometric analysis, providing high efficiency and accuracy.