Predicting discharge dynamics from a rectangular hopper using the discrete element method (DEM)

Accurate prediction of the discharge rate from hoppers is important in many industrial processes involving the handling of granular materials. The present work investigates the parameters affecting the discharge rate using the discrete element method (DEM). The effects of particle properties (particle size and size distribution) and hopper geometry (hopper width, outlet width, angle and fill height) are studied and compared to previously published experimental correlations. The results indicate that DEM simulations are fully capable of reproducing trends in the discharge rate that are well-known experimentally. For example, particle size and hopper width are shown to have a minimal influence on the discharge rate. In addition, for rectangular hoppers, the discharge rate is shown to vary with the outlet width raised to the 32 power as given by the modified Beverloo correlation. The DEM simulations are also used to explore a wider range of parameters that have not been or are not easily explored experimentally. For example, the effects of hopper friction, particle friction, coefficient of restitution are investigated, and particle friction is shown to have a significant influence on the hopper discharge behavior.