Simulating granular and solid mechanics using LAMMPS

While LAMMPS is often viewed as a molecular dynamics code, it is more generally a particle simulator capable of simulating dynamics on much larger length and time scales. In this breakout session, we will discuss some of the mesoscopic and continuum length scale packages available in LAMMPS, in particular focusing on the GRANULAR and BPM packages. In the GRANULAR package, each particle represents an individual grain of material, with interactions that reproduce frictional contact dynamics. This is often referred to as the Discrete Element Method (DEM), which has a rich history in simulations of powders and other granular materials. In the BPM or Bonded Particle Model package, each particle represents some region of continuous solid material, and particles are joined by a network of bonds to reproduce continuum mechanical behavior. Bonded interactions may depend on the loading state and history of the material such that they can capture a wide range of mechanical phenomena, including plasticity and fracture. We provide a background overview of the two methodologies, examples of systems that can be modeled, and a discussion of the capabilities of the packages with an emphasis on recent developments.

Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-mission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA-0003525.