Grain and feed facilities are turning to discrete element method modeling to solve costly flow problems and avoid expensive trial-and-error fixes during facility startups.
Eric Peterson, principal/senior project manager at VAA, demonstrated the technology during an Innovation Station session "Advantages of DEM (Discrete Element Method) Modeling in Grain Handling Applications," at the 2026 GEAPS Exchange. The simulation software tracks individual particles through equipment over time, allowing operators to test modifications virtually before implementation.
“You can actually solve a situation where maybe you’re dealing with extra grain breakage or you’ve got different pieces of equipment that are tracking better,” Peterson said. “We can use a tool to prove a spouting will work maybe shallower than you expected.”
The technology addresses common industry challenges including bottlenecks, uneven material flow and equipment wear. Peterson presented three case studies showing how facilities increased capacity and reduced maintenance through better spout design.
In one example, a grain elevator with side-by-side bucket elevators was receiving uneven flow from a single drag conveyor. The existing installation created a 60-40 split instead of the intended 50-50 distribution, with grain hugging one side of the spout and overfilling certain cups while leaving others nearly empty.
“The result of the existing situation is actually what you see in that screenshot there as the grain is going into the bucket elevator and is hugging that left lower left side of the shoot,” Peterson explained.
By redesigning the spouting virtually, the facility increased bucket elevator capacity by 30% and reduced wear while fixing belt tracking issues. The improved flow allowed more trucks to be received at the main receiving point.
Another case study involved a belt conveyor that had been trimmed from 60 inches to 57 inches due to spillage problems. The facility was operating at reduced capacity since the mid-1990s because of alignment issues and material washing to one side.
The modeling software uses established physics principles to simulate how different materials behave in equipment. Users can adjust parameters including particle density, size, friction coefficients and equipment surface properties to match real-world conditions.
Peterson noted that facilities handling multiple commodities can design systems to work with both free-flowing grains like corn and sticky materials like soybean meal without requiring adjustments.
The technology has proven particularly valuable for new installations, where proper design can reduce commissioning time from weeks or months to hours by eliminating the need for post-startup modifications.
