Discrete element simulation of particle motion in ball mills based on similarity

Discrete element (DE) simulation of a ball mill with a large number of particles is challenging when each particle is considered. Similarity principle could be adopted to reduce the number of particles in a simulation whilst still maintaining the accurate flow behaviour of particles. This paper presents a scaling relationship between particle gravitational acceleration, mill diameter and mill rotational speed. A series of scaled simulations of particle motion with different mill diameters are carried out. Consistent motion of a single particle and multiple particles in ball mills with different diameters and rotational speeds verifies the proposed relationship, which could be an effective approach to reduce the size of simulations for ball mills.