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EDEM Contact Models
A Contact Model describes how elements behave when they come into contact with each other.
Contact Model and GPU Device Compatibility
The Multi-Sphere solver can run on two different engines such as CPU and CUDA.

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).
- 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.

Contact Model and GPU Device Compatibility

The Multi-Sphere solver can run on two different engines such as CPU and CUDA.

The engine to be used will be determined by the hardware as well as the simulation settings. The GPU engines (CUDA) can only be used when all models in a simulation are supported; otherwise, the entire simulation will run on the CPU if only some of the Physics models are supported on the GPU. In order to understand which models take full advantage of the GPU engine, select the Solvers tab in the EDEM Physics Interaction section of the Creator.

The following table provides details about the contact models that are supported by the solver engines:


Models	Name	CPU	CUDA
Base Models	Hertz-Mindlin (no slip)	●	●
	Hertz-Mindlin with JKR**	●	●
	Hertz-Mindlin with JKR V2	●	●
	Linear Spring	●	●
	Hysteretic Spring	●	●
	Edinburgh Elasto-Plastic Adhesion	●	●
	No Base Model	●	●
Rolling Friction Models	Standard Rolling Friction	●	●
	RVD Rolling Friction (Deprecated)	●	●
	Type C Rolling Friction	●	●
	No Rolling Friction Model	●	●
Additional Models	Bonding (Deprecated)	●
	Bonding V2	●	●
	Breakage	●	●
	Heat Conduction	●	●
	Linear Cohesion V2	●	●
	Tribocharging	●
	Electrostatics	●
	Relative Wear	●	●
	Archard Wear**	●	●
	Spray Coating	●	●
Particle Body Forces	Electrostatics	●
	Temperature Update	●	●
	Saffman Lift	●	●
	Magnus Lift	●	●
	Schiller and Naumann Drag	●	●
	Morsi and Alexander Drag	●	●
	Haider and Levenspiel Drag	●	●
	Ganser Drag	●	●

Note: ** An experimental equivalent of this model is available in Options > Additional Components > Enable Experimental Contact models.

If an API model is written with the GPU API (API code includes the relevant CUDA file), the status of the GPU Solver Mode will change from CPU Solver to GPU Solver. Contact Chaining for GPU API is supported. However, only one plug-in model is supported at the same time. If the API is a Base contact Model, you must not further add in-built base contact models to the simulation.

For more information about the GPU Solver, see the GPU CUDA Guide.