Workshop on Discrete Element Modelling

Cambridge, 3–4 April 2003

Deadline for registration, 20th March 2003


Centre for Mathematical Sciences
University of Cambridge
Wilberforce Road
Cambridge

3rd and 4th April, 2003

  

Aim of the workshop

This workshop is planned to involve about 40 participants from a range of different research communities working in the field of Discrete Element Modelling. The Workshop will aim to provide an opportunity for different communities to discuss their common and particular problems in deploying DEM and related methods, at a variety of scales, in applications in the environmental sciences (sensu lato). The Workshop will be held in a University Department with lecture and seminar room facilities; if necessary, access can be provided to computing facilities if it is desirable to demonstrate software in use.

The Workshop will be planned to maximise the opportunity for participants to present examples of their research using DEM methods, with a focus on both applications and technical issues. In addition, there will be opportunity for discussion about areas where further research is needed, and where collaboration between research communities might lead to advances, particularly ones that could benefit from e-science initiatives.

The first day of the Workshop will begin with presentations by several of those attending, covering a range of themes, including:
(i) applications at scales from the molecular to the geological (in the morning, with straightforward presentations and normal discussion as in conventional conferences); and
(ii) technical modelling issues and methods (in the afternoon, as short talks by two or three people from different communities, followed by some general discussion; this session will be chaired by a scientist who knows the field and the issues well).

The second day will be rather more free-format in style. There will be time for delegates to present their latest results, or to air problems they have encountered. Then there will be discussion about key issues, leading to the definition of the purposes of break-out groups. Each delegate will then participate in two break-out sessions, and there will be reports from these and follow-up discussion after lunch. The meeting will close with a lecture from a keynote speaker.

At some point in the meeting, time will be devoted to discussion of a plan to convert aspects of the workshop into a publication (possibly an issue of the Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc.), whose purpose will be to disseminate ideas and information about applications and modelling and programming issues to a wider community of environmental scientists who might wish to develop DEM applications.

Accommodation will be provided in Fitzwilliam College, and can be arranged to include bed and breakfast for the nights of Wednesday 2 April to Friday 3 April inclusive. This will make it possible for participants to depart on Saturday for the AGU/EGS/EUG meeting in Nice from 6-11 April (using cheap flights from Stansted to Nice itself with Go, or to Toulon with Buzz).

Location

The workshop will take place in the Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Cambridge. Details of the location can be obtained here.

Registration and contributions of talks

Participation is open to all, and there is no registration charge. We will provide drinks, lunches and evening dinner in Fitzwilliam College on Thursday 3rd April for all participants.

We need to ask people to pre-register. This can be done using our on-line form. In additional to the usual registration details (name, address etc), the form will give you space to provide us with information on personal requirements (such as diet, access requirements).

The on-line form should also be used to submit titles for talks (we are open to people giving more than one talk if appropriate), and for giving information about technical requirements.

Please book early as we need to have early estimates of numbers for catering planning. Depending on the number of early bookings we may need to set limits on numbers.

  

Programme for Thursday 3rd April

9.00-9.45: Registration (coffee available on arrival)
9.45-10.00: Welcome and introduction.
10.00-10.25: Applications at the nano-scale (molecular dynamics): Radiation damage at the molecular scale. Martin Dove, Earth Sciences, Cambridge
10.25-10.50: Applications at the micro-scale (geotechnical properties of materials): Modelling of colloidal and polymer solutions, David Heyes, Chemistry, Surrey
10.50-11.30: Coffee break
11.30-11.55: Applications at the meso-scale (mass movements): Modelling of landslides in realistic terrain, Paul Cleary, CSIRO, Victoria, Australia
11.55-12.20: Applications involving particle deformation (eg multi-scale modelling): Discrete particle-continuum fluid 3D simulations with particle coalescence and breakage, Colin Thornton, Engineering, Birmingham
12.20-12.45: Fluid-solid interaction (eg sediment transport): Discrete Particle Modelling to investigate processes controlling sediment transport, Simon Tait, Engineering, Sheffield and John Heald, Engineering, Aberdeen
1.00-2.00: Lunch
2.00-3.20: Algorithms and allied procedures (short presentations, discussion), examples including:

Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics, Paul Cleary, CSIRO, Victoria, Australia
Discrete modelling of complex fluid flows; lattice-Botzmann methods for dense suspensions of deformable particles, Ian Halliday, Materials Research, Sheffield Hallam
A methodology to predict yield surface behaviour of particulate systems during compaction processes, Rajesh Ransing, RW Lewis and DT Gethin, Mechanical Engineering, Swansea
DL_POLY: Multiprocessor Code for Molecular Simulations, Ilian Todorov, e-Science Centre, Daresbury Laboratory
3.20-4.00: Particle characterisation and tracking (short presentations, discussion), examples including:

Discontinuous Modelling of Structural Masonry, Nenad Bicanic, Civil Engineering, Glasgow
Collisional behaviour in DEM with realistic particle shapes: cube packing - experiments and DEM, John-Paul Latham, Earth Sciences, Imperial College
4.00-4.30: Tea/coffee break
4.30-5.10: Particle characterisation and tracking (continued)

Discrete Particle Model: approximating the non-spherical shape of sediment particles, Joe Calantoni, Marine Geosciences, US Naval Research Lab, MS
Coupling of DEM with CFD: Particulate Process Industry Applications, John Baxter and Ugur Tuzun, Engineering, Surrey
5.10-6.30: Upscaling from DEM to continua (short presentations, discussion), examples including:

Molecular Dynamics Simulation Studies of Surface Contacts with DL_POLY; linking atomistic studies to macroscopically observed frictional phenomena, CW Yong, Daresbury Laboratory
Statistical mechanical derivation of deterministic models, David Heyes, Chemistry, Surrey
Use of Wavelet Transforms in Statistical Probing of Evolving Discrete Particle Assemblies, Ugur Tuzun, Engineering, Surrey
Where continua stop and discontinua begin, Ante Munjiza, Engineering, Queen Mary College
7.30: Evening dinner in Fitzwilliam College

Programme for Friday 4th April

9.00-10.30: Further illustrations, with presentations on additional applications, theoretical issues, and problems encountered in analysis:

Preliminary tracking of sediment grains: can we track every particle in a drainage basin, Trevor Hoey, Geography, Glasgow
The Discrete Element Model for Ballistic Modelling of Micro-Particle Penetration into the Oral Mucosa, Nik Petrinic, Engineering Science, Oxford
The effects of large-scale, discrete structures on the statistics of surface topography: computer simulations, Derek Goring, NIWA, New Zealand
The Modelling of Large Scale Discrete/Discontinuous Problems: Computational Issues, YT Feng, Engineering, Swansea
10.30-10.50: Discussion; issues for debate in break-out groups
This discussion is to identify issues to be discussed in break-out sessions
10.50-11.00: Definition of break-out groups and themes
There will be opportunities for each delegate to participate in two break-out discussions; each of the two sets of discussion themes will be covered by a number of groups so that their sizes are reasonable.
10.00-11.30: Coffee break
11.30-12.15: Break-out groups covering themes (a) and (b)
Half of the delegates will be in each of these.
12.15-1.00: Break-out groups covering themes (b) and (a)
Delegates will switch to the other theme.
1.00-2.00: Lunch
2.00-2.30: Reports: groups (a)
2.30-3.00: Reports: groups (b)
3.00-4.00: Discussion
4.00-4.30: Tea/coffee break
4.30-5.15: Closing keynote address

Accommodation

We expect to be able to offer accomodation in a Cambridge College soon.

Getting to CMS

Information about the workshop location can be obtained from here. This site includes on-line maps and photographs. We are unable to offer car parking space at the CMS site, and so would advise on the use of public transport if possible; information about public transport is available here. If you need to bring your car, the best plan for parking is to use the nearby Park & Ride site, with information available here. Some car parking is available at Fitzwilliam College.

Financial support

NIEeS will provide financial assistance for people attending the workshop from the UK environmental sciences and escience communities. This will cover reasonable travel and accommodation costs, and other reasonable incidental expenses.

To claim financial support, please fill in the expenses claim form (click on icon to the right to download the form in pdf format) and send to the Finance Officer at the address at the foot of this page.

 

Further help

For help on any matter, please contact the NIEeS administration by email to admin@niees.ac.uk or contact one of the organisers:

Keith Richards
ksr10@cam.ac.uk		 Martin Dove
martin@esc.cam.ac.uk

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