Carlos González-Montellano

Three dimensional discrete element models for simulating the filling and emptying of silos: Analysis of numerical results

Abstract The discrete element method (DEM) is a promising technique that allows the mechanical behaviour of the material stored in silos and hoppers to be studied. The present work analyses the numerical results obtained by two three-dimensional DEM models that simulate the filling and discharge of a silo for two materials: glass beads or maize grains. The aim of the present work was to assess the capacity of these models to predict the behaviour of the studied materials. To guarantee the maximum representativeness of the results, many of the simplifications usually used in DEM models were avoided. The results analysed included the vertical distributions of the normal pressure, tangential pressure and mobilised friction, the horizontal distribution of normal pressure, velocity profiles and the spatial distribution of the bulk density. The results of this analysis highlight the potential of DEM models for studying the behaviour of granular materials in silos and hoppers, provided that simplifications are minimized.

Discrete Element Modeling of a 3D Scale Silo With Hopper

The discrete element method (DEM) is a numerical technique widely used to study the behavior of granular materials. It has proven to be reliable and effective in simulating many flow scenarios as well as the interaction between granular materials and the physical elements of the machinery or the physical system where they are contained.

Discrete element analysis on the discharge rate of elongated particles

The Discrete Element Method (DEM) has been broadly used for investigating many different silo phenomena, such as pressure distributions, flow patterns or segregation processes. In this research work has been used to analyze the discharge rate of elongated particles (simulated biomass briquettes) in a hopper with different inclinations of the walls and outlet diameters. Numerical results have been compared with analytical results in order to assess its validity for this type of biomass materials.

Repair Costs of Low Volume Roads in Spain

Low volume roads play an essential role in the development of rural areas in Spain. They provide access to farms and food industries, and they also provide services traditionally assumed by major roads, e.g., the connection of small towns or their use by emergency services. The construction of most part of the Spanish low volume roads network took place during the second half of the 20th century by using different techniques. The current condition of low volume roads is generally quite poor. However, some differences appear depending on the year of construction and the materials used for the pavement. The authors selected 41 low volume roads throughout Spain to calculate the budget required for their repair in order to analyze the influence of the pavement materials and the period of construction. This paper describes the repair works considered for calculating the budget required by each low volume road.