Packing simulations of complex-shaped rigid particles using FDEM: An application to catalyst pellets

A new component of the combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM) is employed to estimate the effects of geometrical features, friction and energy dissipation parameters on the bulk properties of rigid pellet packs. This work constitutes the first systematic validation of the Solidity FDEM code for rigid particles. The experimental and numerical axial and radial packing density profiles and orientation distributions have been compared, confirming that the numerical simulations of packing of cylindrical catalyst supports, glass beads and trilobe pellets deposited in a cylindrical container match the corresponding emergent bulk properties obtained from X-Ray CT scans. The presented results are a first confirmation of the applicability of FDEM based methods to the simulation of this class of multi-body problems. The assessment of the accuracy of the simulated topology of the pellet pack that is established in this work is encouraging for further investigations of the multi-physical engineering systems of interest for catalyst pellets involving hydro-thermo-mechanical, fracturing and fragmentation interactions using coupled FDEM formulations. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.