Numerical investigation of collision characteristics of non-spherical particles on ductile surfaces under normal impact

Abstract

The particle–wall collision behavior plays a crucial role in determining particle motion during the simulation of multiphase flow processes. The coefficient of restitution (COR) is generally used to characterize the particle–wall collisional behavior. Correct consideration of COR is essential for obtaining accurate results in numerical simulations. In the present work, the COR during the normal impact of a rigid prolate ellipsoidal particle on the target wall is investigated using the finite element method. The loss in kinetic energy of the particles after impact is used to analyze the COR. The simulations are conducted with a particle of sphericity 1, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, and 0.5 impacted at different orientation angles (angle between particle major axis to the horizontal plane) in the range 0°–90°. The effect of particle sphericity, particle orientation before impact, impact velocity, and target surface material on COR is determined. Further, an understanding is established on the deviation in COR for the impact of non-spherical particles as compared to the COR for the impact of spherical particles. The insights gained from this study are valuable for accurately predicting the motion of non-spherical particles in multiphase processes using the discrete element method.