Abstract A new rigid component of the combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM) is employed to estimate the effects of geometrical features, friction and energy dissipation parameters on the bulk properties of rigid pellet packs. This work constitutes the first systematic validation of the Solidity FDEM code for rigid particles. The experimental and numerical axial and radial packing density profiles and orientation distributions have been compared, confirming that the numerical simulations of packing of cylindrical catalyst supports, glass beads and trilobe pellets deposited in a cylindrical container match the corresponding emergent bulk properties obtained from X-Ray CT scans. The presented results are a first confirmation of the applicability of FDEM based methods to the simulation of this class of multi-body problems. The assessment of the accuracy of the simulated topology of the pellet pack that is established in this work is encouraging for further investigations of the multi-physical engineering systems of interest for catalyst pellets involving hydro-thermo-mechanical, fracturing and fragmentation interactions using coupled FDEM formulations.

中文翻译：

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使用 FDEM 对复杂形状的刚性颗粒进行填充模拟：在催化剂颗粒上的应用

摘要 结合有限离散元法（FDEM）的一个新的刚性组件被用来估计几何特征、摩擦和能量耗散参数对刚性颗粒包装的体积特性的影响。这项工作构成了刚性粒子 Solidity FDEM 代码的首次系统验证。对实验和数值轴向和径向堆积密度分布和取向分布进行了比较，证实圆柱形催化剂载体、玻璃珠和三叶形颗粒堆积在圆柱形容器中的数值模拟与从 X 射线获得的相应涌现体积特性相匹配CT扫描。所呈现的结果首次证实了基于 FDEM 的方法在模拟此类多体问题中的适用性。