Materials in a powder form are frequently used in various industries for the manufacturing of commodity and high-value products. To properly design the powder-handling equipment and powder processes, it is essential to know the powder flow properties that depend, among other parameters, on the particle shape. The nonspherical particles such as aggregates, cylinders, corn-shaped particles, and fibers are often used in the industry. Recently, modeling approaches have been devised to simulate the powder flow and particle−particle interactions in powder processing. In this article, we discuss an educational module developed to introduce students to the modeling of powder processes with particles of various shapes and techniques used for the measurement of powder flow properties. The module was designed to support the undergraduate and graduate courses for chemical, material, mechanical, and civil engineering students. The survey revealed that the module increased students’ theoretical knowledge of the powder processing and developed practical skills in the modeling of powder processes.

中文翻译：

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使用离散元方法模拟不同形状颗粒的流动特性

粉末状材料经常用于各个行业，用于制造商品和高价值产品。为了正确设计粉末处理设备和粉末工艺，必须了解粉末流动特性，这些特性取决于颗粒形状等参数。工业上经常使用骨料、圆柱体、玉米粒、纤维等非球形颗粒。最近，已经设计出建模方法来模拟粉末加工中的粉末流动和颗粒-颗粒相互作用。在本文中，我们讨论了一个教育模块，该模块旨在向学生介绍使用各种形状的颗粒和用于测量粉末流动特性的技术对粉末过程进行建模。该模块旨在支持化学、材料、机械和土木工程专业的本科生和研究生课程。调查显示，该模块增加了学生对粉末加工的理论知识，并培养了粉末加工建模的实践技能。