A GPU Polyhedral Discrete Element Method
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Program
Complex adaptive systems (MPCAS), MSc
Publicerad
2020
Författare
Bilock, Adam
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
This thesis presents a Discrete Element Method (DEM) to simulate irregular shaped
particles by a non-convex polyhedron representation. By using novel GPU techniques
and an efficient HPC implementation the presented method shows a level of throughput
not previously attained with polyhedron particle representations in the open literature.
Further, via such a representation the exact volumetric overlaps of the particles
are resolved and, as a result, the method is robust and numerically stable with respect
to geometric changes. The efficient and well-behaved method allows for significant
progress in the study of granular materials, where previously mainly the inadequate
particle representation of spherical or clumped spherical particles have been used.
The exact volumetric overlaps are resolved by a simplex representation which allows
for the use of non-convex particles without any decomposition, aiding both performance
and the ease of use of the method. Further, care is given to attain efficient scaling
of the method with respect to particle resolution. Such a property enables studies
on higher resolution particles than previously shown in relatedwork, and is result of efficient
filtering of polyhedron triangles in the narrow contact phase. In addition, other
novel techniques, such as a GPU BVH implementation for the broad phase contact detection,
also aids the performance and the flexibility of the proposed and implemented
method.
The method is shown to be convergent with respect to particle resolution, both for individual
particle collisions and also for laboratory scale particle systems. The HPC implementation
is proven to be highly efficient, where, for instance, a one second simulation
of one million non-convex particles is simulated within an hour on a single GPU.
By the effective filtering of triangles in the narrow contact phase, near linear scaling
can be achieved with regards to particle resolution.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Discrete Element Method , Polyhedral intersection , GPU , HPC , Particulate systems , Non-convex particles