Numerical Simulation of high velocity impact phenomenon by the Distinct Element Method (DEM)

The Distinct Element Method (DEM) is one of the particle methods and is generally applied to granular materials and incompressible elastic materials. DEM with elastic-plastic deformation is developed for simulations of shock loading phenomenon in condensed media, and is applied to problems with large deformations. DEM gives more stable results than Lagrangian Finite Difference or Finite Element Method. Numerical oscillations are reduced by the consideration of artificial viscosity. The hydrodynamic constitutive law is introduced to the DEM, and the dynamic behaviors of materials, such as metals and concretes, under high velocity impact phenomenon are well compared with experimental and other computational results.