Process Optimization Through Industrial Scale DEM Simulations

Dr. Manoj T. Kandakure, Lead Scientist at Aditya Birla Science & Technology presents as part of the 2020 ATCx DEM.

In chemical process industries, process equipment were designed and optimized based on the designer’s experience, available empirical correlations and experimental studies in the past. However, in recent years, Discrete Element Method (DEM ) has been widely used in many process industries for large-scale simulations of particulate handling and processing operations for better understanding of material flow and design optimization.

Two case studies here showcase the effective use of DEM for design and process optimization of rotary equipment. in the first case study, DEM was used successfully to test various concepts of the lifter designs for drying fragile material in rotary dryer for achieving higher throughput and drying rate at reduced specific energy consumption. Another case study highlights evaluation of different grinding media configurations in ball mill through DEM simulations for predictions of power and collision energy spectra impacting the material grinding pattern and overall specific energy consumption.

Presentation Duration: 25 minutes