Insights from DEM Simulations for Shear Cell Experiments with Wooden Spheres

Abstract— The flow of solid particulates is governed by several factors, including granular density, bulk density, size distribution, stiffness, and cohesion. While powder flow testers are effective for fine powders, they are inadequate for coarse particles. Continuum-based methods also prove insufficient for particles larger than a few millimetres. However, the Discrete Element Method (DEM) shows considerable promise for these systems, particularly in reactive environments such as iron ore reduction, where particle properties evolve during conversion. This research aims to verify the feasibility of extracting reliable data from a standard Schulze ring shear tester and comparing it with a DEM model using wooden spheres. Experimental tests at the University of Salerno involved monodisperse wooden spheres of 6 and 10 mm diameters. The Schulze rotational shear tester measured stress components, and the data were used to calibrate a DEM model. The results showed high similarity between the model and experiments, confirming the potential of using raw data from shear testing equipment to calibrate DEM models for large particles. In summary, the study demonstrates that the Schulze ring shear tester can provide valuable data for calibrating DEM models, even for larger particles. This finding is significant as it opens up new possibilities for accurately modelling and predicting the behaviour of coarse particulate systems in various industrial applications. The successful calibration of DEM models using shear testing data could lead to more efficient and effective processes in industries where the handling and processing of large particles are critical. Keywords: rotational shear cell, coarse particles, wooden spheres, cohesion, DEM simulation.