EDEM Tutorial:

Bonded Particles Model Simulation

EDEM Tutorial: Bonded Particles Model

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EDEM Tutorial: Bonded Particles Model

Introduction
This intermediate tutorial is directed at users who have covered introductory exercises,
as the initial set-up of simulation is abbreviated and basic functionality not explained in
detail. In case of any uncertainties or problems, refer to previous tutorials or EDEM Help
section.
This exercise explores further options of EDEM, focusing on the use the internal bonded
particle model.
The main concepts are:

Use of the Hertz-Mindlin with Bonding contact model.

Particle contact radius setup and definition.

Export of the input deck at specific time-step.

Preparation of new simulation using exported deck.

Display configuration and analysis of particles bonds.

1. Start EDEM.
2. Go to File > Save As
3. Select a location on the local machine (e.g. C:\EDEM_Tutorials).
4. Enter a file name (e.g. Bonded_Particle_setup.dem) and click Save.
5. Remember to often press Save when setting up the simulation.

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EDEM Tutorial: Bonded Particles Model

EDEM Creator: Setting up the model

Step 1: Set the Global Model Parameters
Choose the units
1. Tools > Options menu and select the Units tab.
2. Change the following measurement units:

Velocity to m/s

Length to mm

Enter the model title and description

1. In the Globals tab, enter the title Bonded Particle Model in the Title field.
2. Enter a description in the Description field.

Set the gravity, define the materials and interactions

1. Check that Gravity is set to -9.81m/s2 in the z-direction.
2. Click the

button in the Materials section to create a new material.

3. Set the Name, Poisson's ratio, Shear modulus and Density as shown below:

4. Click the
button in the Interaction section. This will automatically define the
interaction between elements both made of new material 1, as no other material has
been created. Set the coefficients as follows:

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EDEM Tutorial: Bonded Particles Model

Step 2: Define the Particles

In this exercise, the bonded particles model is used. Therefore the Contact radius
between the particles must be set in the Particles tab. The contact radius is important as
it determines the area in which the bond can be formed. If the contact radii of two
particles overlap during the bond formation time, then these two particles will be bonded
together. When the particles no longer overlap the bond information is lost.

Create a new particle type and set contact radius

1. Click on the Particle tab.
2. Click the

button in Select Particle section in order to create a new particle type.

3. Click the

button and rename the particle type Bonded particle.

4. Set the Radius of the surface to 5 mm.

5. Check the Contact Radius box and set the value to 5.5 mm.
6. Set the Material to new material 1.
7. Click the Calculate Properties button and pick the Surfaces option.

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EDEM Tutorial: Bonded Particles Model

Step 3: Set the Contact Models

1. Go back to Globals tab.
2. Select Particle to Geometry from the Interaction pull-down and check that
Hertz_Mindlin (no slip) model is listed.
3. Select Particle to Particle from the Interaction pull-down in the Physics section.
4. Select Hertz-Mindlin (no slip) then click the
5. Click the

button to remove it.

button and select the Hertz-Mindlin with bonding built-in model:

6. Click the configure button

to define the bond.

7. Set the parameters as follows:

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EDEM Tutorial: Bonded Particles Model

Step 4: Define the Geometry

Create a standard box
1. Go to the Geometry tab.
2. In the Sections part, click the

button to create

a Box and rename it to Box by clicking on

3. Click on the Box tab and set the specification as

follows:

Create the loading plane

1. Click the

button again, creating a Polygon this time.

2. Click the

button and rename it to a Loading plane.

3. Click on the Polygon and Dynamics tabs, set the specifications as follows:

Step 5: Create the Particle Factories

1. Click on the Factories tab.
2. Click the

button to create a new factory.

3. Set Factory Type to static.

4. Leave all other settings as default and this will fill the box with a set amount of
particles.
5. Select File > Save.

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EDEM Tutorial: Bonded Particles Model

EDEM Simulator: Running the Simulation

Step 1: Set the Time and Grid options
Set the time step
1. Click on the Simulator button

on the toolbar.

2. Set the Fixed Time Step lower box to 5e-5 s, which would be about 29% of Rayleigh
time step.

Set the simulation time and grid options

1. In Simulation Time section, set the Total Time to 1s.
2. Set the Target Save Interval to 0.01s to specify write-out frequency.
3. Set the Cell Size to 3 Rmin.

Step 2: Run the Simulation

1. Click the start Progress button

at the bottom of the simulation window.

2. Click the Refresh Viewer button at any point to update the Viewer and see how the
simulation is progressing.

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EDEM Tutorial: Bonded Particles Model

EDEM Analyst: Exporting Input Deck

Step 1: Check that the particles have settled
Configure the geometry
1. Switch to the Analyst by selecting

button on the toolbar and click the Model tab.

2. Reduce the Opacity of the geometry to 0.8 then click Apply.

3. In Viewer Controls, select the last time-step (1s). The particles should be settled in
the box as shown:

Step 2: Export Simulation Deck

1. Go to File > Export > Simulation Deck
2. Save the 1s simulation as a new file Bonded_Particle_Run.dem in the tutorial
folder.
3. In the dialog that appears, Set Start Time to 1s and click OK.

4. Close EDEM.

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EDEM Tutorial: Bonded Particles Model

EDEM Creator: Modifying the input deck

The saved file is now going to be modified for the bonded particle simulation.
1. Start EDEM.
2. Go to File > Open
3. Navigate to Bonded_Particle_Run.dem.

Step 1: Modify the Geometry

1. Go to the Geometry Tab.
2. Select Loading plane from Sections drop-down menu.
3. In the Polygon tab, redefine the size and position as follows:

5. In the Dynamics tab, modify the dynamics of the loading plane to get:

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EDEM Tutorial: Bonded Particles Model

6. Select Box from Sections pull-down.

7. In the Box tab, redefine the size and position as below.
Note that side 5 is de-selected now. When this is done a warning message would
appear, then select OK to remove the factory as it is no longer needed.

8. In the Domain section at the top, uncheck Auto Update from Geometry box and set
the domain as follows:

The geometry should now look like the image below, with the rectangle open at one end
and the loading plate above the unsupported end of the particles.

9. Select File > Save.

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EDEM Tutorial: Bonded Particles Model

EDEM Simulator: Running the Simulation

Step 1: Set the Time and Grid Options
Set the time step
1. Click on the Simulator button

on the toolbar.

2. Set the Fixed Time Step lower box to 2e-5 s, which would be about 12% of Rayleigh
time step.

Set the simulation time and grid options

1. In Simulation Time section, set the Total Time to 2.5s.
2. Set the Target Save Interval to 0.01s to specify write-out frequency.
3. Set the Cell Size to 3 Rmin.

Step 2: Run the Simulation

1. Click the start Progress button

at the bottom of the simulation window.

2. Click the Refresh Viewer button at any point to update the Viewer and see how the
simulation is progressing.

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EDEM Tutorial: Bonded Particles Model

EDEM Analyst: Analyzing the Bonds

Step 1: Configuring the Display
Configure the geometry
1. Switch to the Analyst by selecting

button on the toolbar and click the Model tab.

2. Set the Opacity of the geometry to 0.7 then click Apply.

Configure the particles

1. In the Particles section uncheck Display box and click Apply. The particles
disappear from the viewer.

Configure the bonds

1. In the Contact/Bond section, set:

Element to Bond

Bond State to Intact Bond

2. Check the Display box and click Apply.

3. Now set:

Bond State to Broken Bond

Distance Threshold to 15 mm

4. Check the Display box and click Apply.

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EDEM Tutorial: Bonded Particles Model

Step 2: Coloring the bonds

1. Click on the Coloring tab to open the Coloring pane.
2. Set Element to Bond and Color by Intact Bond.
3. In the Attribute Coloring section, set Attribute to Normal Force and Component to
Magnitude.
4. Set the Min Value to 0 N and Max Value to 40 N (deselect Auto Update first if it was
checked).
The bond disk radius was previously set to 5 mm and the bond strength to 500000 Pa.
Therefore, the bonds should break at a force of approximately 40 N.
Play through the simulation to analyze the bonds. At 1.01 s the intact bonds should be
visible. Stepping through the model shows the forces on the bonds increasing and some
bonds breaking.

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