Undergraduate Course: Particulate Solids Simulations (CHEE11038)
Course Outline
| School | School of Engineering |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Year 5 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | Particulate solids (granular materials) are found everywhere, encompassing pharmaceutical powders, food ingredients, natural soil deposits, many bulk chemicals, aggregates and cement used in
construction, etc. Their ubiquity makes them important in diverse industrial sectors and a subject of interest to scientists and engineers across many different disciplines. Particulate solids form complex systems with behaviours that are difficult to understand from physical experiments alone. Simulation methods which explicitly model particles and their interactions, such as the popular Discrete Element Method (DEM), can provide these missing insights into granular behaviour. This course introduces techniques for simulating particulate solids, with an emphasis on DEM. Lectures are supported by practical classes to develop hands-on experience with a DEM code. The course features case studies from practitioners using DEM for a variety of reasons, from improving efficiency of manufacturing processes to reducing risks to life in the natural environment. |
| Course description |
The lectures cover the following topics:
- Particles in nature and industry
- The growth of particulate solids modelling & historical context
- Discrete versus continuum descriptors of granular materials
- Theoretical foundations of the discrete element method (DEM)
- Interparticle contact mechanics
- Modelling particles of diverse sizes and shapes
- Moving from particle-scale data to bulk-scale quantities
- Calibration, verification and validation
- Modelling of particle-fluid systems
The lectures are augmented by supervised practicals that provide hands-on experience with a DEM code. Real-world case studies from DEM practitioners are incorporated that represent the broad range of application areas for particle-scale simulations.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Programming and Mathematics knowledge equivalent to Y2 of the Chemical Engineering programmes. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Summarise the capabilities of modern techniques for modelling systems of particulate solids, demonstrating awareness of each technique's strengths and limitations
- Explain in depth how a timestep of a DEM simulation works
- Explain the distinctions between calibration, verification and validation, and how each might be carried out for simple DEM simulations
- Propose and critically evaluate modelling strategies for real granular systems
- Describe instances in which modelling of particulate systems has been used to solve real-world problems
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Reading List
- O'Sullivan, C. (2011). 'Particulate Discrete Element Modelling: A Geomechanics Perspective', CRC Press, London
- Weinhart, T., Ostanin, I., van der Weide, E., van Zwieten, G., Uekermann, B., Hazel, A. & Thornton, A. (2024). 'Scientific computing with open-source software' (textbook of graduate
course given at the University of Twente), Chapter 23: 'Principles of Discrete Particle Modelling': https://oercommons.org/courseware/lesson/113895 |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Particle Technology,Power Technology,Granular Materials,Discrete Element Method,Physical Modelling |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Kevin Hanley
Tel: (0131 6)50 5712
Email: K.Hanley@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Mark Ewing
Tel:
Email: mewing2@ed.ac.uk |
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