The use of discrete element method (DEM) software to simulate bulk material flow and to verify and optimise chute designs has become widespread, says industrial equipment supplier Weba Chute Systems. The company explains that a verification tool should, however, not be confused with a complete design methodology.

“While DEM software is often used to model material flow, it is fundamentally a simulation and verification tool rather than a design tool. DEM can validate and optimise a chute design by analysing how material behaves within it but the engineering design itself must first be developed using sound design principles and application expertise,” says Weba Chute Systems MD Mark Baller.

The company asserts that effective chute design starts not with software but with engineering expertise and practical knowledge, which it says it has accumulated over decades across the world. It affirms that this experience, combined with proven engineering calculations, forms the foundation of its chute designs.

“Only once [a chute] design is complete do we use DEM software to verify and validate its performance, ensuring it will operate as intended under the specified conditions,” explains Baller.

According to Baller, the limitations of DEM become evident when moving from the controlled assumptions of a design model to the realities of an operating mine. "DEM is only as good as the information you put into it. When we are handling mined material, we have to consider factors such as the condition of the material, atmospheric conditions and particle size distribution. All of these influence how the material flows through the chute and it is impossible to simulate every one of these variables within a DEM environment."

For this reason, the company says it uses DEM to confirm and refine designs rather than create them from scratch. The software is employed to validate material trajectories, impact energies, build-up risks and liner utilisation against designs that have already been developed through engineering calculations and decades of practical field experience.

As visual simulation tools become increasingly sophisticated, Weba Chute Systems says it continues to view DEM as an invaluable engineering aid - but only when it is supported by sound engineering principles, real-world operating data and decades of accumulated industry experience.