Application of the coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian method to the roller compaction modelling

The roller compaction (RC) process of powders is a steady-state operation characterized by large deformations and complex contact interactions. Traditionally, it is modelled using the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) method, which requires frequent remeshing of the Lagrangian domain to preserve solution accuracy. To overcome this limitation, this study explores the Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian (CEL) method, which can accommodate large deformations without mesh distortion.

The CEL approach is implemented in Abaqus/Explicit, with an imposed inlet feed velocity and zero outlet pressure as Eulerian boundary conditions. A steady-state solution is achieved through a general transient (non-steady-state) simulation. To improve computational efficiency of the explicit analysis, the simulation time is artificially reduced by increasing the material density.

The results highlight the strong potential of the CEL method to accurately predict the key characteristics of the roll compaction process, showing good agreement with both experimental measurements and ALE-based simulations reported in the literature. The study also shows that while mesh size significantly affects interface accuracy, it does not influence the stable time increment. Overall, the CEL approach offers a promising alternative for simulating roller compaction without mesh distortion and provides deeper insight into roller-powder interactions.