Open Source Software: Optimizing Granular Material Handling with Advanced ABAQUS Add-Ons

Open Source Software: Optimizing Granular Material Handling with Advanced ABAQUS Add-Ons

In the realm of material handling and processing, understanding and controlling granular flow is pivotal. Our suite of ABAQUS User MATerial subroutines (VUMAT) add-ons offers a groundbreaking solution, providing detailed models to simulate granular flow physics accurately. This tool is essential for manufacturers and biorefineries facing challenges with equipment design and granular material processing, aiming to eliminate flow problems and enhance operational efficiency.

The handling of granular materials, such as granular biomass feedstock, has long been a challenge in various industries, with issues like jamming and bridging in equipment like hoppers and screw conveyors. Additionally, biorefineries have encountered significant operational challenges, with most facing closure due to these unresolved flow problems. This underscores the need for advanced simulation tools to understand better and optimize granular flow dynamics.

Our software package introduces four sophisticated granular flow constitutive models for ABAQUS: the density-dependent Mohr-Coulomb model, the Drucker-Prager/Cap model, the Gudehus-Bauer hypoplastic model, and the critical state-based NorSand model. These models are tailored to accurately simulate granular flow across various scales, from flow initiation to steady-state movement, enabling users to refine equipment design and operation for optimal performance.

Advantages:

• Enhanced Accuracy: Models are specifically designed to capture the complex physics of granular flow, particularly during flow initiation in the quasi-static regime.
• Operational Optimization: Enable precise simulation and optimization of equipment geometry and operational parameters, reducing the risk of jamming and bridging.
• Competitive Edge: Provides equipment manufacturers with the ability to design the most efficient and reliable equipment, boosting market competitiveness.
• Sustainability: Supports the bioenergy sector by addressing and overcoming one of the main challenges leading to biorefinery closures.

Applications:

• Equipment Manufacturers: Design and optimization of material handling equipment, such as hoppers and screw conveyors, for granular materials.
• Biorefineries and Processing Plants: Developing efficient processing lines and optimizing material flow to prevent shutdowns and improve yield.

Unlock the full potential of your granular material handling and processing equipment. Download now and take the first step towards operational excellence and sustainability in your industry.

INL’s Technology Deployment department focuses exclusively on licensing intellectual property and partnering with industry collaborators capable of commercializing our innovations. Our goal is to commercialize the technologies developed by INL researchers. We do not engage in purchasing, manufacturing, procurement decisions, or providing funding. Additionally, this is not a call for external services to assist in the development of this technology.