A multibody dynamic approach for colliding particles

The dynamics of systems of moving particles in engineering applications is rapidly gaining interest as the incentive to control and optimize granular flow systems increases. Increasing availability of computing power has rendered the in silico study of large assemblies of discrete particles in near-realistic systems feasible. Generally, the governing equations for systems of non-adhesive discrete particles are derived from Newtonʹs equation of motion with the basic assumption that the normal and tangential forces arising between two impacting particles can be independently derived from the virtual overlap of the particles and the tangential displacement of the initial contact points. In this study, the problem is placed in a rigorous multibody dynamics setting and a detailed comparison is made with the classical theory. An attempt has been made to treat particles and walls in a unified way.