A DEM analysis of flow characteristics of noncohesive particles in hopper

Flow characteristics of material in hoppers, silos, and bins are critical issues for operational stability as well as structural integrity of these units. In this work, flow of noncohesive particles in hopper is studied using the discrete element method (DEM) where each particle is tracked for its position, velocity, and acceleration. Material properties tend to alter during hopper flow due to compaction, expansion, and segregation. These features are difficult to model with a continuum approach. In the first part, material flow patterns are correlated with hopper angle and hopper opening, the two main design parameters. The typical shift from mass flow to funnel flow depending on the hopper angle was successfully simulated. In the second part, the discharge rate of material was quantitatively analyzed as function of hopper design parameters. Beverloo model [1] was tested on these simulated flow rates and it was shown that the simulated flow rates follow the model for this specific granular system. However, the DEM analysis was also able to demonstrate the failure of the traditional Beverloo model in the restricted flow regime. Simulated flow rates also follow the empirical correlations with hopper angle as stated in literature. DEM simulations were validated with experimental data for both material flow pattern and discharge rates.