Calibration of a CFD discharge process model of an off-road self-loading concrete mixer

The aim of this paper is to calibrate a Eulerian-Eulerian multiphase CFD model for the discharge process of an off-road self-loading concrete mixer drum, by using the viscosity model applied to fresh concrete. Two different viscosity models for the simulated concrete were studied: the Newtonian fluid model and the Bingham fluid model. The final parameters applied for calibration were defined by means of comparisons between numerical simulations, literature search on concrete rheology, experimental tests of drum discharge process and experimental Abrams' cone tests applied to concrete. The results show that concrete, simulated as a Bingham fluid, matches with the experimental results for the discharge process. On the other hand, a good fit between numerical and experimental results is not reached with concrete simulated as a Newtonian fluid. The calibration of the material model is essential in further numerical analyses for new mixer drums and concrete machinery production design.