(743c) The Calibration of DEM Input Parameters for Biomass Using a Cubical Triaxial Tester

This talk will present the experiments and procedures used to calibrate DEM properties for bulk milled corn stover over a range of loading conditions. Cubical Triaxial Tester (CTT) experiments were performed at Penn State University to obtain the loading, unloading, and shear behavior of the corn stover under conditions similar to those found in a compression screw feeder; which is where the calibrated bulk parameters will be used. A DEM simulation of the CTT experiments was developed using a nonlinear normal force model and a linear spring sliding friction tangential force model, and implemented in the commercial DEM package Rocky. This simulation was also coupled with a Python optimization algorithm which simultaneously minimizes the error between the DEM simulation predictions and experiments for the entire range of test conditions.