MercuryDPM: Fast, flexible particle simulations in complex geometries : Part B: Applications

MercuryDPM is a particle-simulation software developed open-source by a global network of researchers. It was designed ​ab initio to simulate realistic geometries and materials, thus it contains several unique features not found in any other particle simulation software. These features have been discussed in a companion paper published in the DEM7 conference proceedings; here we present several challenging setups implemented in MercuryDPM​. Via these setups, we demonstrate the unique capability of the code to simulate and analyse highly complex geotechnical and industrial applications. The setups implemented include complex geometries such as (i) a screw conveyor, (ii) steady-state inflow conditions for chute flows, (iii) a confined conveyor belt to simulate a steady-state breaking wave, and (iii) a quasi-2D cylindrical slice to efficiently study shear flows. ​MercuryDPM is also parallel, which we showcase via a multi-million particle simulations of a rotating drum. We further demonstrate how to simulate complex particle interactions, including: (i) deformable, charged clay particles; and (ii) liquid bridges and liquid migration in wet particulates, (iii) non-spherical particles implemented via superquadrics. Finally, we show how to analyse and complex systems using the unique micro-macro mapping (coarse-graining) tool MercuryCG.