Numerical and experimental study of particle shape effect on pile properties based on a 3D sinter model

The research described in this paper studies the effect of particle shape on pile properties such as pile shape, repose angle and porosity through Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulation and small-scale experiments. An actual sinter particle was used as a template, with a three-dimensional (3D) model of it reconstructed from two-dimensional images using the close-range photogrammetry method. This 3D model was then employed to produce 3D-printed particles for experiments and to generate multi-sphere particles for simulations. The key contact parameters of the 3D-printed particles were obtained from experimental measurements and used for pile formation simulations. The results demonstrate that particle shape has a significant impact on the formation and structure of piles. In simulations with eliminated rolling friction coefficient, the repose angle changes significantly initially when the particles transition from sphere to more complex shapes. At growing shape complexity the effect on the pile structures eventually becomes negligible. In bulk-calibrated simulations, porosity exhibits a non-monotonic trend with changes in sphericity. The porosity of particles with sphericity most similar to sinter shows the greatest consistency with experimental porosity. The findings suggest that particle shape has a critical influence on the properties of piles, and the complexity of particle shape has a profound impact on particle behaviour. • Close-range photogrammetry allows for precise and convenient reconstruction of the sinter particle model from 2D-images. • 3D printing provides particles with controllable shapes and sizes for experimental analysis. • Multi-sphere particles simulate irregular shapes with varying sub-sphere number for shape accuracy. • Simulations with zero rolling friction reveal the complex impact of particle shape on pile formation. • Bulk-calibrated simulations highlight the critical influence of particle shape on porosity.