Laboratory Test and Particle Flow Simulation of Silos Problem with Nonhomogeneous Materials

Underground mine caving may induce collapse of the ground during ore caving, particularly when there is a loose material on top of the mine. In the present paper, a laboratory test is performed to model this mining problem which is followed by a particle flow simulation to simulate the interaction and movement between the two materials. For this nonhomogeneous problem, an interesting columniform channel for the loose material is formed during the drawing in both the experiment tests and the numerical modeling. The formation of this channel greatly affects the efficiency of ore drawing and the stability of the mine caving. The numerical modeling can be used for the optimization of ore drawing, ore drawing management and the prediction of ore loss and dilution indexes. The importance of the moisture content on ore drawing process and the efficiency of ore drawing are also investigated by both experimental and numerical tests, and useful results are found from the present study.

[1]  S. Masson,et al.  Effect of particle mechanical properties on silo flow and stresses from distinct element simulations , 2000 .

[2]  W. S. Chen,et al.  New Approach to Determine Three-Dimensional Contacts in Blocks System: Penetration Edges Method , 2006 .

[3]  Demetres S. Briassoulis.  Limitations in the Range of Applicability of the Classic silo Theories , 1991 .

[4]  Wang Lian-qing.  Numerical simulation of natural caving method based on particle flow code in two dimensions , 2007 .

[5]  P. Cundall,et al.  A discrete numerical model for granular assemblies , 1979 .

[6]  Daniel R. Parisi,et al.  Partitioned Distinct Element Method Simulation of Granular Flow within Industrial Silos , 2004 .

[7]  Colin Thornton.  APPLICATIONS OF DEM TO PROCESS ENGINEERING PROBLEMS , 1992 .

[8]  D. M. Walker,et al.  A basis for bunker design , 1967 .

[9]  D. Gavrilov,et al.  Micro instabilities in a system of particles in silos during filling process , 1998, Recent Advances in Solids and Structures.

[10]  D. M. Walker.  An approximate theory for pressures and arching in hoppers , 1966 .

[11]  Yung-ming Cheng,et al.  Rigid body rotation and block internal discretization in DDA analysis , 2000 .

[12]  J. Yoshida.  An analytical study on the pulsation phenomenon of granular materials in silos during discharge , 1994 .

[13]  Jin Y. Ooi,et al.  Silo pressure predictions using discrete–element and finite–element analyses , 1998, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences.

[14]  J. K. Walters,et al.  A theoretical analysis of stresses in silos with vertical walls , 1973 .

[15]  J. K. Walters,et al.  A theoretical analysis of stresses in axially-symmetric hoppers and bunkers , 1973 .

[16]  Y. Cheng,et al.  Advancements and improvement in discontinuous deformation analysis , 1998 .