摘要 |
A discrete element method for modelling granular or particulate material, the method including a multiple grid search method wherein the multiple grid search method is a hierarchical grid search method, and wherein entities, such as particles and boundary elements, are allocated to cells of respective grids based on size. The search method further includes: (a) performing a search of cells in a first of the grid levels to determine pairs of entities which satisfy predetermined criteria to be included in a neighbour list for which both entities belong to the first grid level; (b) mapping each nonempty cell in the first grid level to each of the other grid levels, determining neighbouring cells in each of the other grid levels and determining all pairs of entities belonging to a pair of levels that satisfy the predetermined criteria for inclusion in the neighbour list; and (c) repeating (a) and (b) for all grid levels. |