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EDEM Contact Models
A Contact Model describes how elements behave when they come into contact with each other.
Field Data Manager
Field Data Manager allows you to import and manage field data for use in a Custom model (typically, a Particle Body Force).

Welcome
What's New
New features and enhancements available in EDEM.
Release Notes
This document contains information about the EDEM release, such as key features and enhancements, bug fixes, and known issues.
About EDEM
EDEM is a high-performance simulation software for bulk and granular materials.
Get Started with EDEM
The EDEM user interface comprises three icons for each simulation component - Creator, Simulator, and Analyst.
EDEM Creator
EDEM Creator is the pre-processor for creating an EDEM simulation model, including setting up equipment and defining the generation of bulk materials.
EDEM Simulator
EDEM Simulator is a powerful solver used for fast and efficient simulations.
EDEM Analyst
EDEM Analyst is the post-processor used to analyze and visualize the results of your simulation.
EDEM Contact Models
A Contact Model describes how elements behave when they come into contact with each other.
- Base Contact Models
  Base Contact models define the physical collision between particle materials or particles and geometries.
- Rolling Friction Contact Models
  Rolling Friction is the resistive force that slows down the motion of a rolling object.
- Spinning Friction Contact Model
  The Spinning Friction contact model is used to account for the friction that would occur if a particle face is rotating against another particle or Geometry.
- Additional Contact Models
  You can also add Additional contact models to a simulation.
- Particle Body Force Contact Models
  You can define a particle body force to act on particles when a specified condition is met, when particles are in certain positions, or are traveling at a specified velocity.
- Plug-in Contact Models
  You can add Plug-in contact models to a simulation.
- Field Data Manager
  Field Data Manager allows you to import and manage field data for use in a Custom model (typically, a Particle Body Force).
  - Import Field Data
    You can import field data from an industry-standard CGNS file or from a simple custom text file. When using CGNS, you can select multiple files at the same time to speed up importing.
  - Import Custom Field Files
    EDEM allows you to import field data from a simple custom text file.
- Contact Model and GPU Device Compatibility
  The Multi-Sphere solver can run on two different engines such as CPU and CUDA.
EDEM Cal Utility
EDEM Cal is a utility which works with EDEM and is designed to assist in performing calibration.
GPU CUDA Guide
The EDEM CUDA GPU module uses the latest General Purpose Computing on Graphical Processing Units (GPU) technology.
Programming Guide
The EDEM Programming Guide describes the EDEM API.
Coupling Interface Programming Guide
The Coupling Interface Programming Guide provides an overview of how to use the EDEM Coupling Interface to couple with a generic CFD code and/or Multi Body dynamics codes.
EDEMpy
EDEMpy is a Python library for accessing EDEM data from .h5 files (the underlying EDEM file format). EDEMpy does not require prior knowledge of advanced programming.
EDEM Solver Capabilities
EDEM contains four solver engines.
Appendix
This section provides additional information about how to estimate simulation time, supported EDEM File types, attribute definitions, and so on.
EDEM Terminology
Definitions of terms used in EDEM.
References and Bibliography
This section cites the contributions made by various authors and sources that have been used as reference material for EDEM, and the specifics of how they have been applied can be found in the individual contact model sections.

Field Data Manager

Field Data Manager allows you to import and manage field data for use in a Custom model (typically, a Particle Body Force).

Field data is of the following two types:

Vector
A Vector field is a construction in vector calculus used to represent a field (such as the velocity profile of a fluid or a magnetic force field) as points in Euclidian space. Each point has an associated magnitude and direction. EDEM displays Vector field data using arrow representation. The color of the arrow indicates the magnitude of the vector.

Scalar
A Scalar field associates a scalar value to points in space. This can be used to measure temperature distribution throughout space or air pressure, for example. EDEM displays Scalar field data using point representation. The color of the points indicates the scalar value.

Combined with a CFD application such as ANSYS Fluent, EDEM’s vector field import can greatly reduce simulation time by providing one-way coupling. For example, in a particle-fluid problem, the fluid drag is significant but the particle effect on fluid flow is not.

Run a FLUENT-only simulation.
Export the flow field from FLUENT.
Import the vector field data into EDEM.
Run a model with fluid drag on the particles.

One-way coupling is much faster than two-way coupling, and returns useful simulation data.

Custom plug-ins can query field data and configure the interpolation algorithm using EDEM’s API. For more information about EDEM's API, see the EDEM Programming Guide.