Shear test as calibration experiment for DEM simulations: Spheropolygonal particle model

Abstract

The rapid development of computer technology provides an opportunity for researchers dealing with discrete element modeling to develop more accurate particle models. The sphero-polygonal particle model can follow the shape of the grains to be modeled much more finely. However, it is important to examine the model sensitivity to the different micromechanical parameters if we switch to the use of the sphero-polygonal model.Shear testing measurements and simulations were performed by applying the discrete element method (DEM) to find this. A geometrically more accurate sphero-polygonal particle model was applied instead of the usual sphere-clumpapproach to simulate the particle assembly's mechanical behavior during shear testing to calibrate the micromechanical parameters ofwheat grains by reproducing the shear failure curve obtained fromexperiments. Hopefully, the results will contributeto the practical applicability of the sphero-polygonal grain modeling in the discrete-elementmethod.

Keywords

• sphero-polygonal particle
• shear test
• dem
• calibration
• sensitivity analysis