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Development and coupling of numerical techniques for modeling micromechanical discrete and continuous media using real particle morphologies

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Abstract

The main objective of this research is to formulate and couple technologies for modeling discrete and continuous media using real particle morphologies. To that end, two coupled formulations based on virtual modeling technologies of single real particles with another one called real particle packing technique are presented. The first formulation employs Fourier descriptors’ theory to virtually achieve the morphology and construct a repository of real particle geometries. The second formulation is a particle packing method, supported by advancing front techniques combined with dynamic methods. This method presents a stochastic formulation and allows the packing of particle systems following continuous, discrete and empirical statistical distributions. The coupling of both techniques is a very efficient tool to achieve discrete or continuous media geometries to solve engineering problems. Three different examples are developed to illustrate the usefulness of the formulations. The first one is a discrete angle-of-repose problem involving clusters of spheres (real particle morphologies are described with groups of spheres); in the second example the same angle-of-repose problem is resolved with real particles. In the third case, which involves continuous medium mechanics, a small-scale road engineering problem is modeled, specifically, the testing of an asphalt concrete.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are deeply grateful to the valuable funding, resources and support of the following institutions: Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency (ANEEL) e Furnas Centrais Elétricas S. A., Project P&D 0394-1709/2017 via Fundação de Empreendimentos Científicos e Tecnológicos, FINATEC e Project P&D PD-0394-1705/2017 via Fundação de Apoio a Pesquisa, FUNAPE; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Process No. 140938/2018-4; Doctoral Studies Commission of the Nueva Granada Military University, Bogotá, Colombia; International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering, CIMNE, Barcelona, Spain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Research of Computational and Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMCNI), UCLV-CIMNE Classroom, Universidad Central Marta Abreu de Las Villas (UCLV), Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba

    Roberto L. Roselló Valera, Manuel A. Castro Fuentes, Julio Pena Aguila & Carlos A. Recarey Morfa

  2. International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE), Barcelona, Spain

    Joaquín Irazábal González & Eugenio Oñate

  3. Road Infrastructure Laboratory (InfraLab), Faculty of Technology, University of Brasilia (UnB), Brasília, Brazil

    Roberto L. Roselló Valera, Marcone de Oliveira Junior, Marcio Muniz de Farias, Rogfel Thompson Martínez, Luis A. Moreno Anselmi & Carlos A. Recarey Morfa

  4. Nueva Granada Military University, Bogotá, Colombia

    Luis A. Moreno Anselmi

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  1. Roberto L. Roselló Valera
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  2. Joaquín Irazábal González
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation and data collection were performed by RLRV, JIG, MdeOJ, MA and CARM. Real particle shape generation was performed by RLRV, MMdeF, MACF, JPA, LAMA and CARM. Particle packings of cluster of spheres and real particles were performed by RLRV, MMdeF, MACF, RTM, JPA and CARM. Micromechanical simulations and analysis of continuous media were performed by RLRV, MdeOJ, MMdeF and CARM. Discrete simulations and analysis with cluster of spheres were performed by JIG, EO, RLRV and CARM. The first draft of the manuscript was written by RLRV, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Roberto L. Roselló Valera.

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Valera, R.L.R., González, J.I., de Oliveira Junior, M. et al. Development and coupling of numerical techniques for modeling micromechanical discrete and continuous media using real particle morphologies. Comp. Part. Mech. 10, 121–141 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40571-022-00481-x

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