3-D Modelling of Irregular Shape Particles for Discrete Element Method Based on X-ray Tomography

Abstract

Abstract: In order to build 3-D models of irregular shape particles for discrete element method, the real ballast was scanned with X-ray tomography and its tomography images were obtained, a binary image processing was implemented for each image, and with the method of edgepoints detection, the three dimensional coordinates of the ballast were collected. Then, three governing parameters: minimum radius of basicspheres, efficient space factor, and splitradius were introduced and the generating program of particle was compiled based on VC++. The program combines the basicspheres automatically under an overlap-able algorithm to build the model of irregular shape particles. The research results indicate that with the same preset parameters, the process of modelling can be repeated, and the program is not related to the initial conditions. Meanwhile, the balance of model accuracy and required ball number can be achieved by adjusting governing parameters.

Key words: X-ray tomography (CT), irregular particles, discrete element method (DEM), numerical modelling

CLC Number:

TU441.93

DU Xin, ZENG Ya-Wu, GAO Rui, YAN Jing. 3-D Modelling of Irregular Shape Particles for Discrete Element Method Based on X-ray Tomography[J]. Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University, 2011, 45(05): 711-715.

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