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conferenceseries.com
RRJOMS | Volume 5 | Issue 4 | July, 2017
July 27-29, 2017 Vancouver, Canada
10th International Conference on
Emerging Materials and Nanotechnology
DEM modeling of oil sands materials structures
Samuel Frimpong and Eric Gbadam
Missouri University of Science and Technology, USA
Oil sands are composite materials whose two dominant physical characteristics are the quartzose mineralogy and the large
quantities of interstitial bitumen. The void spaces are also filled with a thin continuous net of water around the quartz grains
with the remaining space occupied by dissolved gasses. An examination of thin sections and electron scanning micrographs reveals
a typical particulate system, whose mechanical behavior can be modeled based on particle interactions (contacts) at the microscale.
The oil sands formation exhibits mainly a dense, interpenetrative, uncemented structure with a large number of contacts per grain.
Additionally, oil sand undergoes high dilation under low normal stresses. In this paper, the microstructural and micromechanical
behavior of oil sands materials is studied and an appropriate and comprehensive contact model is identified to describe its nonlinear,
anisotropic and time-dependent behavior. A 2-D discrete element method (DEM) is developed to model the oil sands structures
using DEM software package, Particle Flow Code (PFC2D). The time-dependent behavior of the bitumen (consisting of bonded
fine particles) is represented by a Burger’s model. The quartz grains are modeled with irregular (subrounded and subangular)
shape clumps (a rigid collection of disc bonded together). The thin-film of water surrounding the quartz grains is represented as
a liquid bridge to determine the capillary force at the interface. The micromechanical model of the oil sand was developed with
three different constitutive laws (force-displacement contact models) to represent the contact interactions of the constituents at the
microscale. The paper provides theoretical foundations for understanding machine-ground interactions during excavation and for
material behavior predictions. Understanding the microscopic behavior of oil sands materials would enhance long-term equipment
design improvements and provide production engineers with higher equipment longevity and reliability for mine production and
maintenance planning purpose.
Biography
Samuel Frimpong has obtained his PhD in 1992 from University of Alberta and MS in 1988 from University of Zambia. He has obtained his Post-graduate Diploma
in 1986 and BS in 1985 from KN University of Science and Tech. of Ghana. He guided over 30 PhD and MS graduates, published 1 book, 3 book chapters, over
200 refereed journal and conference papers and given over 200 presentations. He is a Member of the APLU Board on Natural Resources, Vice Chair of the Minerals
and Energy Resources Division of NASULGC, and a Member of the College of Reviewers for Canada Foundation for Innovation and Canada Research Chairs
Program and ASCE-UNESCO Scientific Committee on Emerging Energy Technologies (ASCE-UNESCO SCEET). He served 5 years as a Member of CDC-NIOSH
Research Advisory Board, 4 years as Co-chair of ASCE-UNESCO SCEET and 2 years on Japan’s Global Warming Research Consortium. He is currently the
Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Powder Metallurgy and Mining and Editorial Board Member for the International Journal of Mining, Reclamation and Environment.
He is a Registered Professional Engineer and a member of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, American Society for Mining, Metallurgy
and Exploration, American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Society for Modeling and Simulation International.
Samuel Frimpong et al., Res. Rev. J Mat. Sci. 2017
DOI: 10.4172/2321-6212-C1-002