A combined SPH-DEM approach for extremely deformed granular packings: validation and compression tests

Abstract We present a novel smoothed particle hydrodynamics-discrete element method (SPH-DEM) approach for the simulation of deformable granular media. First, we show how converges to analytical solution in simple contact mechanics problem, namely Hertz law elastic spherical grains. Second, analyze evolution 2D packing disks under uniaxial compression, displaying key metrics such as coordination number and vertical stress. that code produces data quantitative agreement with what is known from literature. Finally, demonstrate our SPH-DEM coupling can be used study packings grains onset jamming extremely compacted states, reaching fractions $$\phi \simeq 0.995$$ ϕ ≃ 0.995 .