Discrete Elements Method: A New Kind of Initial Conditions - Tetrahedral Packing of Balls

The Paper discusses the use of the regular packing of identical balls with the coordination number 4 as a model of a medium consisting of fluid and solid particles in the conditions of fluidization. It is proposed to use the examined packing of balls as an initial condition for the calculations by the Discrete Elements Method (DEM) in technological processes in the fluidized bed in industry, as well as in the modeling of processes that occur in hydraulic and pneumatic transport of granular materials. Filtration properties of such packing required for its use as an initial condition in calculations by DEM are estimated.