Estudio de Obstrucción en Ductos de Transporte de Granos mediante CFD-DEM

Resumen

In this work, blockage issues in ducts for transporting corn grains to storage silos are studied using Computational Fluid Dynamics - Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM). The main objective is to analyze the material flow to identify potential clogging areas in three discharge lines, which consist of rectangular section ducts and a diffuser to homogenize the discharge and distribution of material inside the silo. The study proposes incorporating the actual shape of the corn grain in the DEM modeling and inferring its frictional coefficients, as these characteristics determine the material’s fall dynamics. Each of the aforementioned components is modeled separately, identifying critical areas in the “deadfalls” and the diffuser. These results allow for a situation diagnosis and provide recommendations for design improvements concerning passage sections and maximum operating flow rates.