Experimental and numerical investigation of the bulk behavior of wood pellets on a model type grate

摘要

Transport and storage equipment for wood pellets can in theory be readily improved through simulation approaches like the discrete element method. However, scientific investigations verifying the applicability of the discrete element method in case of non-spherical particles are still limited. The sensitivity of simulations on the size and shape approximation of particles and mixing and segregation behavior are not well studied. These issues are addressed in the current paper. For a model type grate system experimental and numerical investigations of the mixing behavior of wood pellets under different motion patterns are performed. Results indicate that the discrete element method is well capable of representing experimentally obtained results. Altering the representation of the size distribnot strongly impact the overall mixing tendencies.