DEM Simulation of Laboratory-Scale Jaw Crushing of a Gold-Bearing Ore Using a Particle Replacement Model

The Discrete Element Method (DEM) is a numerical method that is able to simulate the mechanical behavior of bulk solids flow using spheres or polyhedral elements, offering a powerful tool for equipment design and optimization through modeling and simulation. The present work uses a Particle Replacement Model (PRM) embedded in the software EDEM(R)to model and simulate operation of a laboratory-scale jaw crusher. The PRM was calibrated using data from single particle slow compression tests, whereas simulations of the jaw crusher were validated on the basis of experiments, with very good agreement. DEM simulations described the performance of the crusher in terms of throughput, product size distribution, compressive force on the jaws surface, reduction ratio, and energy consumption as a function of closed side setting and frequency.