A study of fragmentation processes using a discrete element method

Abstract

We present a model of solids made from polygonal cells connected via beams. We calculate the macroscopic elastic moduli from the beam and cell parameters. This modellisation is particularly suited for the simulation of fragmentation processes. We study the effects of an explosion inside a circular disk and the impact of a projectile and obtain the fragment size distribution. We find that if breaking only happens under tensile forces a layer on the free wall opposed to impact is first ejected. In that case the distribution follows a power-law with an exponent that in most cases is around two.