Discrete-element Modeling of Granular Materials

This book brings together in a single volume various methods and skills for particle-scale or discrete-element numerical simulation of granular media. It covers a broad range of topics from basic concepts and methods towards more advanced aspects and technical details applicable to the current research on granular materials.

Discrete-element simulations of granular materials are based on four basic models (molecular dynamics, contact dynamics, quasi-static and event driven) dealing with frictional contact interactions and integration schemes for the equations of dynamics. These models are presented in the first chapters of the book, followed by various methods for sample preparation and monitoring of boundary conditions, as well as dimensionless control parameters. Granular materials encountered in real life involve a variety of compositions (particle shapes and size distributions) and interactions (cohesive, hydrodynamic, thermal) that have been extensively covered by several chapters. The book ends with two applications in the field of geo-materials.

2. Contact Dynamics Method, Michel Jean

3. Quasi-Static Methods, Jean-Noël Roux and Gaël Combe

4. Event-driven Method, Sean McNamara

5. Particle Assembling Methods, Charles Voivret, Farhang Radjaï and Jean-Yves Delenne

6. Construction of Granular Assemblies Under Static Loading, Gaël Combe and Jean-Noël Roux

7. Periodic Boundary Conditions, Farhang Radjaï and Charles Voivret

8. Dimensional Analysis and Control Parameters, Jean-Noël Roux and François Chevoir

9. Numerical Modeling of Granular Media Composed of PolyhedralParticles, Frédéric Dubois

10. Numerical Modeling of Cohesive Interactions, Jean-Yves Delenne, Vincent Topin, Vincent Richefeu and Farhang Radjaï

11. Numerical Modeling of Fluid–Grain Interactions, Bertrand Maury and Aline Lefebvre-Lepot

12. Close Interaction of Immersed Grains, Bertrand Maury and Aline Lefebvre-Lepot

13. Numerical Modeling of Heat Production and Transmission, Mathieu Renouf and Yves Berthier

14. Discrete Models of Wet Granular Media, Bruno Chareyre and Luc Scholtès

15. Discrete Models of Structures in Geomaterials, Frédéric Donzé, Pascal Villard, and Dominique Daudon

Farhang Radjaï is a CNRS Research Director at the Mechanics and Civil Engineering Laboratory (LMGC) at the University of Montpellier 2. His research focus is on granular physics to which he contributed by the numerical modeling and discovery of the bimodal structure of force chains.

Frédéric Dubois is a Research Engineer at the Mechanics and Civil Engineering Laboratory (LMGC) at the University of Montpellier 2, France. He is an expert in the field of modeling complex mechanical systems in interaction (contact, friction, adhesion, etc.).