Discrete Element Method- (DEM-) Based Study on the Wear Mechanism and Wear Regularity in Scraper Conveyor Chutes

Abstract

The scraper conveyor is the key conveying equipment for fully mechanized coal mining. Wear failure of the chute is the main form of failure of the scraper conveyor. In this study, the discrete element method (DEM) was combined with the wear model. The wear mechanism and wear regularity of the chute were explored by tracking the changes in the position of coal particles during the wear process. After the validation of wear simulation, a wear test of coal for different intrinsic parameters was designed. In one wear cycle, the three-body wear was about 32.84 times that of the two-body wear. In the research range, the wear of the scraper conveyor chute increased with the increase of Poisson’s ratio, shear modulus, and density of the coal. The shear modulus showed remarkable effect on the wear of the chute, followed by Poisson’s ratio and density. There existed a linear relationship between the shear modulus and wear (R2 = 0.8232). This study is expected to be used to predict the wear of the scraper conveyor chute and provide a theoretical basis for the applicability of the chute in different mines.