Dynamic simulation of the formation of granular media and study of their properties

Abstract

A numerical model is presented which describes the evolution of a system containing a large number of deformable spherical grains based on Newton's second law. Starting from an initial state with fixed positions, velocities and grain characteristics, the system evolution is simulated by successive steps. The acceleration of each grain results from the application of an external force and from interactions with other particles. These contact forces are evaluated as functions of the grain deformations during the collisions considered as elastic. The grain bed can be deposited between vertical walls as well as with periodical conditions in the lateral directions. The properties of these packings submitted to mechanical stresses are characterized by using numerical codes which operate on unstructured tetrahedral grids on the scale of the individual grains.