Discrete Element Method Simulation of Impact-Based Measurement of Grain Mass Flow

Discrete element method based soft-sphere model is used to simulate the impact action between the rice particles flow and the impact-board. The characteristic of contact force between them, the relationship between the mass of rice particles and the normal contact force of the impact-board, and an effect of retention stage on the measurement of the mass of rice are studied when belt speed is 0.5 m/s and 1.0 m/s. The simulation result show that, the normal contact force between rice particles flow and impact-board increase evidently when the belt speed jump from 0.5 m/s to 1.0 m/s, but the tangential force not; the linear relationship between the rice´s mass and the normal contact force of the impact-board is good when the rice´s mass from 0.18 to 0.54 kg; retention stage have a bad effect on the measurement.