coarsegraining command

Syntax

coarsegraining cg_factors args
  • cg_factor = coarse-graining factor to be applied (dimensionless)
  • args = model_check
model_check = error, warn or off

Examples

coarsegraining 2.0
coarsegraining 4. 2.
coarsegraining 3 model_check warn

Description

Coarsegraining is a methodology to reduce the computational effort of a DEM calculation by scaling up the particle size by a coarse-graining factor (cg_factor). Thereby, the model size decreases by factor cg-factor^3.

However, changing particle size will change the physics of the model. On the particle scale, this change is obviously inevitable. However, in many cases model constants can be adapted so that on the bulk scale the change of the physics caused by the coarse-graining model is acceptable. See e.g. (Radl) and (Bierwisch) for details.

If more than one coarse-graining factor is entered, type-specific coarse- graining is activated. So every atom-type in the simulation may have a different coarse-graining factor.

Some of the models in LIGGGHTS(R)-INL support scaling of the model constants to counteract this change in physics on the bulk scale. Moreover, some commands (such as insertion commands or the neighbor command) re-scale some of their length scales. Using model_check = error will throw an error if a model/command does not yield constistent results with coarse-graining. Using model_check = warn will issue a warning if a model/command does not yield constistent results with coarse-graining. model_check = off will suppress all warnings and is only intended for long CFDEMcoupling simulations.

Model overview:

This table provides an overview of how different models behave when coarsegraining is used. Some models scale lengthscales, other models scale model parameters to make results more coarse-graining consistent. Models that are not mentioned here are not affected by using the coarsegraining command

create_atoms   not supported
fix addforce   not supported / inconsistent
fix drag   not supported / inconsistent
fix dragforce   downscaling of A, Re; upscaling of dragforce
fix efield   not supported / inconsistent
fix heat/gran/conduction   not supported / inconsistent
fix mesh/surface/stress Finnie wear model inherently compatible
fix particletemplate/sphere   radius -> cg_factor*radius
fix particletemplate/multisphere   radius -> cg_factor*radius
fix spring   not supported / inconsistent
fix spring/rg   not supported / inconsistent
fix spring/self   not supported / inconsistent
fix viscous   not supported / inconsistent
neighbor   skin -> cg_factor*skin
pair gran/* any cohesion or rolling friction model not supported / inconsistent
pair gran/hertz/history base model inherently compatible
pair gran/hooke/history base model base model inherently compatible
pair gran/hooke base model base model inherently compatible
pair gran/hertz/history/stiffness   not supported / inconsistent
pair gran/hooke/history/stiffness base model with damp_massflag=0 kn -> cg_factor*kn, gamman -> cg_factor^2*gamman
pair gran/hooke/history/stiffness base model with damp_massflag=1 kn -> cg_factor*kn, gamman -> gamman/cg_factor
pair gran/hooke/stiffness base model with damp_massflag=0 kn -> cg_factor*kn, gamman -> cg_factor^2*gamman
pair gran/hooke/stiffness base model with damp_massflag=1 kn -> cg_factor*kn, gamman -> gamman/cg_factor
set   diameter -> cg_factor*diameter

Warning

Even if a model does not support proper coarse graining, in many cases it will still be possible to calibrate the model constant manually to capture the bulk scale physics with a coarse-grained model.

Restrictions

General warning: Coarse graining is an approximative method and will _never_ deliver exactly the same results than a fine-grained simulation.

One natural restriction is that the ratio of geometry length scale to particle length scale should be >> 1 when coarse graining is applied.

See description above the fact that not all LIGGGHTS(R)-INL models will deliver consistent results with coarse-graining ratios > 1.

The coarsegraining command needs to be at the beginning of an input-script. It needs to be defined before any fixes or the definition of a simulation box.

Default

cg_factor = 1 (no coarse-graining applied)


(Radl) S. Radl et. al., PARCEL-BASED APPROACH FOR THE SIMULATION OF GAS-PARTICLE FLOWS, Proc. 8th International Conference on CFD in Oil & Gas, Metallurgical and Process Industries, 2011

(Bierwisch) Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, Volume 57, Issue 1, January 2009, Pages 10ff