Optimisation of a vibro-packing process through simulation and experiment

振动充填是一种在工业上使用的技术，用于将粒状颗粒填充到高填充度的模具。整个模具设备以精确的加速度特性振动，使颗粒尽可能有效地渗透和填充空隙空间。然后，可以用合适的粘结剂（例如环氧树脂）回填模具，以生产出高质量、均匀的复合材料，该材料具有（接近）近净形状的理想机械性能。施加振动的性质和模具本身的设计会引起有趣的现象，例如夹具周围的节点形成和轴外运动，这些现象并不容易预测出广泛的测试和模拟。该项目包括对这些现象的联合实验和建模研究，旨在优化振动包装过程，以提高生产能力并严格控制所得材料的性能。该项目寻求使用先进的实验技术（如正电子发射粒子跟踪，PEPT）来表征系统并提供重要的验证数据。通过PEPT，可以跟踪单个颗粒在模具中的移动，结合机器学习和人工智能技术，将使我们能够了解颗粒的属性如何影响其包装行为。先进的建模和仿真技术（离散元法，DEM，加上计算流体动力学，CFD）将用于提高我们对这些属性的理解-以及模具夹具和树脂粘合剂的属性-可以用来更快，更可靠地生产更好的材料。

Vibro-packing is a technique used in industry for filling moulds withgranular particles to a high degree of packing fraction. The entiremould apparatus is vibrated with precise acceleration properties,causing the particles to permeate and fill the void spaces as efficientlyas possible. The mould can then be back-filled with a suitable binder(e.g. epoxy resins) to produce a high quality, homogeneous compositematerial with desirable mechanical properties in a (close to) near netshape.The nature of the applied vibration and the design of the mould toolitself cause interesting phenomena, such as node formation aroundfixtures and out-of-axis motion, which are not simple to predictwithout extensive testing and simulation. This project involves a jointexperimental and modelling study of these phenomena, with the intentof optimising the vibro-packing process to increase manufacturingthroughput and tightly control the resulting material properties.The project seeks to use advanced experimental techniques (such asPositron Emission Particle Tracking, PEPT) to characterize the systemand provide important validation data. With PEPT, individual particlescan be tracked as they move through the mould, which combined withmachine learning and AI techniques, will allow us to develop anunderstanding of how the particles' properties affect their packingbehaviour. Cutting edge modelling and simulation techniques (discreteelement method, DEM, coupled with computational fluid dynamics,CFD) will be used to improve our understanding of how theseproperties - and those of the mould fixture and resin binder - can beused to produce better materials faster and more reliably.