Particle size and shape effect of Crumbler® rotary shear-milled granular woody biomass on the performance of Acrison® screw feeder: A computational and experimental investigation

Powder Technology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 427, P. 118707 - 118707

Published: June 8, 2023

Physical experiments and discrete element model (DEM) simulations are conducted to evaluate particle characteristics operation parameter effects on screw feeding performance for rotary shear-milled Douglas fir. Three metrics used: mass flow rate, shaft driving torque, specific energy consumption. The impact of size, size distribution (PSD), rotational speed (rpm), hopper dimensions the investigated. All employed reveal superior flowability 2-mm particles in contrast larger 6-mm counterpart. Remarkably, wider PSD results poorer than two mono-sized particles, proving enhancement achieved by narrower woody feedstock. More importantly, DEM unveil PSD-induced degradation is attributed mechanical interlocking segregation effects. Furthermore, higher rpm causes rate at cost consumption due viscous dissipation changes pattern.

Language: Английский

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Machine Learning Assisted Cross-Scale Hopper Design for Flowing Biomass Granular Materials

ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 13(16), P. 5838 - 5851

Published: April 16, 2025

The promise of biomass-derived biofuels is often overshadowed by intricate material handling challenges such as hopper clogging and screw feeder jamming. These issues stem from the knowledge gap among particle-scale properties (e.g., particle size), bulk-scale attributes relative density), macro-scale equipment design inclination), flow performance probability clogging). This work combines physical experiments, validated numerical simulations, data augmentation to develop a machine learning-based for flowing granular woody biomass materials. behavior simulated against tests utilizing developed smoothed hydrodynamics (SPH) solver modified hypoplastic model. A comprehensive evaluation performance, including rate, stability, pattern, conducted on an extensive set encompassing various sizes, moisture contents, densities, operating conditions. feed-forward neural network trained optimized with this correlate cross-scale metrics. results reveal promising predictive accuracy seen unseen sets. Further how input affect predicted metrics carried out. indicate that opening width primarily dictates throughput, while density, wall friction, inclination angle, collectively impact stability. Additionally, patterns are predominantly governed angle. Moreover, potential found be exclusively characterized index dedicated combination high dense packing, smooth low angles, small widths substantially elevates risk unstable flows clogging. study serves potent tool milled materials in hoppers all stakeholders biorefineries manufacturing.

Language: Английский

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Discrete element modeling of granular hopper flow of irregular-shaped deformable particles

Advanced Powder Technology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 34(9), P. 104106 - 104106

Published: June 10, 2023

Language: Английский

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The role of flexural particles in the shear flow of pine residue biomass: An experiment-informed DEM simulation study

Powder Technology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 440, P. 119771 - 119771

Published: April 17, 2024

An experiment-informed discrete particle simulation study was performed to investigate the role of flexural particles in shear flow milled pine residues. Physical anatomical fraction samples were tested an FT4 powder rheometer. A chip model for bark/stem chips and a fiber needles proposed DEM. The simulations show mixed fibers/chips require higher force torque drive than pure or fibers. mass flexibility fibers reveal nonlinear inter-dependency on impacting fibers/chips. Polydisperse well match needle-rich attributes, while polydisperse agree reasonably with bark/stem-rich samples. DEM indicates that flowability residue biomass is determined collectively by various material attributes fractions, which must be considered when developing preprocessing methods conversion-ready adequate handling performance.

Language: Английский

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Shear rate dependency on flowing granular biomass material

Powder Technology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 442, P. 119834 - 119834

Published: May 9, 2024

Language: Английский

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On the Fidelity of Computational Models for the Flow of Milled Loblolly Pine: A Benchmark Study on Continuum-Mechanics Models and Discrete-Particle Models

Frontiers in Energy Research, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 10

Published: June 28, 2022

The upstream of bioenergy industry has suffered from unreliable operations granular biomass feedstocks in handling equipment. Computational modeling, including continuum-mechanics models and discrete-particle models, offers insightful understandings predictive capabilities on the flow milled can assist equipment design optimization. This paper presents a benchmark study fidelity continuum discrete modeling approaches for predicting flow. We first introduce constitutive law model contact coarse-grained model, with parameters calibrated against laboratory characterization tests loblolly pine. Three classical material systems (i.e., lab-scale rotating drum, pilot-scale hopper, full-scale inclined plane) are then simulated using two same initial boundary conditions as physical experiments. close agreement numerical predictions experimental measurements hopper mass rate, critical outlet width, stopping thickness plane, dynamic angle repose, clearly indicates that methods capture behavior biomass. qualitative comparison shows outperforms parameterization materials wall friction, large-scale systems, while is more preferred discontinuous at smaller scales. Industry stakeholders use these findings guidance choosing appropriate tools to part optimization biorefineries.

Language: Английский

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Wedge-Shaped Hopper Design for Milled Woody Biomass Flow

ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 10(50), P. 16803 - 16813

Published: Dec. 5, 2022

The bioenergy industry has been challenged by unstable flow and transport of milled biomass in material handling operations. Handling issues such as hopper clogging auger jamming are attributed to knowledge gaps between existing units designed for bulk solids their suitability with high compressibility. This work investigates various behaviors granular woody wedge-shaped hoppers. Hopper physical experiments numerical simulations conducted study the influence critical attributes processing parameters on pattern, arching, throughput. results show that (1) preferred mass flow, can be achieved controlling material's internal friction angle, inclination, wall friction; (2) governed competing gravity-driven force against resistance from material–wall friction, controlled angle inclination angle; (3) throughput accurately estimated our empirical equation inputs outlet geometry particle-scale bulk-scale attributes. elucidates physics provides guidance industrial equipment design.

Language: Английский

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Hopper discharge flow dynamics of milled pine and prediction of process upsets using the discrete element method

Powder Technology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 415, P. 118165 - 118165

Published: Dec. 13, 2022

Language: Английский

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Angle of repose for superquadric particles: Investigating the effects of shape parameters

Computers and Geotechnics, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 165, P. 105918 - 105918

Published: Nov. 10, 2023

Language: Английский

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Effects of Coarse Aggregate Morphology on Asphalt Mixture’s Flowability: Parametric and Prediction study

Case Studies in Construction Materials, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 21, P. e03735 - e03735

Published: Sept. 6, 2024

Language: Английский

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