Meshfree DEM: Excavator
For DEM simulations of particles that are not significantly impacted by the surrounding fluid, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to model the particle behavior without requiring a volume mesh. This type of simulation is known as meshfree DEM.
In this tutorial, you simulate the impact of an excavator shovel as it scoops up balls from a shallow pit. The balls are injected into the pit before being scooped up by the excavator bucket. Only the shovel of the excavator is represented.
In this simulation, no volume mesh is required for the air in and above the pit. Rather, you assign the boundaries of the domain to a particle region that allows Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to solve the physics of the DEM particles without requiring any fluid forces. The walls of the bucket itself are assigned to a solid region.
The motion of the shovel is specified in the tutorial. It executes a composite motion, combining translations and rotations.
