Comparative discrete element modelling of a vibratory sieving process with spherical and rounded polyhedron particles

Current spherical particle usage in discrete element modelling (DEM) is not able to accurately reflect the particle shape effect in some specific industrial applications. This study specifically investigated the effect of particle shape in discrete element modelling of a vibratory sieving process, with the focus on comparing results from spherical and non-spherical modelling methods. The particle size distribution of an iron ore material was initially obtained experimentally through vibratory sieving tests. An identical process was replicated in DEM with both spheres and non-spherical particles, and resulting particle size distributions were subsequently compared against the experimental results. A rounded polyhedron shape was utilised to calibrate and generate non-spherical particles based on a 2D particle shape characterisation process. Modelling results suggested that the rounded polyhedron method was able to accurately reflect the particle-sieve contacts without excessive rolling resistance tuning, which was required by the spheres.