Numerical modeling of silo filling. II: Discrete element analyses

During the last two decades, many attempts have been made to develop comput ational models to represent the behavior of particulate solids in silos. Tw o methods have been used most commonly: the finite element method and the d iscrete element method. In an attempt to compare the state of the art in th e two methods and to make an unbiased assessment of their capabilities, thi s project has harnessed expertise from all over the world to compare predic tions of a group of standardized problems concerning silos. The first of th ese problems was deemed the simplest: that of filling a silo or container w ith solid. The challenge was to determine the stress state in the solid and the resulting wall pressures. The problem description and continuum analys is results were presented and discussed in a companion paper. This paper su mmarizes the discrete element predictions. A comparison is also made betwee n the discrete and continuum analyses. Finally, comments are made on the ou tcome of the project.