Daniel Grasser is in the final stage of his two-month placement at Gekko Systems in Ballarat, Victoria. Daniel used Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations to understand particle flows inside mining equipment and to detect hot spots for wear.
The work was divided into two stages: The first stage was dedicated to setting up the DEM model and to study the particle flow behaviour (i.e. rock-surface interaction) inside the equipment of interest. Secondly, the mean shear power distribution was analysed and compared with the real wear patterns.
The objective was to assess the accuracy of the wear model implemented in DEM, its sensitivity to different modelling parameters and, ultimately, reproduce the wear pattern observed in worn components. This study will help researchers improve the modelling tools and propose design changes to increase the service life.
Daniel wants to express his gratitude to both Gekko Systems and the mineAlloy Centre for making this hands-on experience possible.