There are numerous experimentally validated simulations for mono-dispersed systems in the literature based on discrete element method (DEM). In practice, however, most of granular systems consist of polydispersed assemblies of particles. Few studies have considered the effect of polydispersity, and yet fewer have experimentally validated the results. In this study, application of a new experimental method for granular flow analysis is presented, capable of validating the results of an in-house developed GPU-based DEM solver in both monodispersed and polydispersed assemblies. Silo discharge is chosen as the case study in which discharge time, flow pattern and more importantly, the outlet composition variation with time (for polydispersed configurations) have been experimentally evaluated and validated with numerical results. The outlet composition, which is the ratio of fine to coarse particles in the outlet stream, is an essential measure of segregation in polydispersed silos, and its numerical prediction can be correct only if the interactions between fine and coarse particles within the silo are modelled precisely. Measuring this parameter is not possible using conventional experimental methods established in silo discharge studies such as high speed photographing or high-frequency weight measurement of the bed. A new apparatus has been developed which can measure this parameter. The device is a compartmented wheel rotating with a motor which gathers the outlet stream of the silo into different compartments. Due to practical limitations, design and function of the apparatus are not ideal. Forward mixing, distribution of particles with the same resident time in different compartments, is the most critical problem. Non-idealities must be compensated by means of post-processing codes so that comparable results are obtained from experiment and simulation.

基于离散元素方法（DEM）的文献中，有许多针对单分散系统的经过实验验证的仿真。然而，实际上，大多数颗粒系统由颗粒的多分散组件组成。很少有研究考虑多分散性的影响，但很少有实验通过实验验证结果。在这项研究中，提出了一种用于颗粒流分析的新实验方法的应用，该方法能够验证内部开发的基于GPU的DEM解算器在单分散组件和多分散组件中的结果。选择筒仓排放作为案例研究，在该案例中，已经通过实验评估了排放时间，流型，更重要的是出口组成随时间的变化（对于多分散配置），并用数值结果进行了验证。出口组成，它是出口流中细颗粒与粗颗粒的比率，是多分散料仓中偏析的重要指标，只有精确模拟料仓中细颗粒和粗颗粒之间的相互作用，其数值预测才能正确。使用筒仓排放研究中建立的常规实验方法（例如高速照相或床的高频重量测量）无法测量此参数。已经开发出可以测量该参数的新设备。该设备是一个带隔圈的轮子，可通过电动机旋转，该电动机将筒仓的出口流收集到不同的隔间中。由于实际限制，该设备的设计和功能并不理想。向前混合，将具有相同停留时间的颗粒分配到不同的隔室中，是最关键的问题。非理想性必须通过后处理代码进行补偿，以便从实验和仿真中获得可比的结果。