Empirical assessment of the critical time increment in explicit particulate discrete element method simulations

This contribution considers the critical time increment (Δt_crit) to achieve stable simulations using particulate discrete element method (DEM) codes that adopt a Verlet-type time integration scheme. The Δt_crit is determined by considering the maximum vibration frequency of the system. Based on a series of parametric studies, Δt_crit is shown to depend on the particle mass (m), the maximum contact stiffness (K_max), and the maximum particle coordination number (C_N,max). Empirical expressions relating Δt_crit to m, K_max, and C_N,max are presented; while strictly only valid within the range of simulation scenarios considered here, these can inform DEM analysts selecting appropriate Δt_crit values.