Authors:
Flávio André, Alexander Potapov, Clovis Maliska, Luis Marcelo Tavares.
Abstract:
Simulations using the discrete element method (DEM) have arisen as an effective tool to understand the dynamics inside different comminution and classification devices. In most of these simulations, breakage is often left to a post processing stage or is disregarded altogether. In several types of crushers and mills this will result in unrealistic simulations, since particle flow and particle size reduction cannot be decoupled. The present work analyzed results from DEM simulations of single particle breakage tests adopting a suite of phenomenological and empirical models, named the Tavares Breakage Model, to validate the implementation of the model on ROCKY-DEM, a commercial DEM platform. Good correlation between previously validated numerical and simulated results were found for different particle breakage properties studied demonstrating the very good potential of the model to represent breakage inside a DEM environment.
Keywords: discrete element method, particle breakage, comminution, Rocky DEM.