Mixing uniformity of particles in a double barrel with differential velocity based on the discrete element method

Abstract To improve the mixing uniformity of mixtures and effectively improve the independent innovation and research and development ability of continuous asphalt mixture mixing equipment, a double barrel with differential velocity (DBDV) was proposed based on previous research. However, there is little research on DBDVs. Thus, the mixing uniformity of particles in a DBDV was studied by the discrete element method. The mixing mechanism was analyzed. A comprehensive evaluation index based on three dimensionless parameters was proposed. The mixing effect was compared with an existing double barrel (DB). The results show that the dimensionless parameters A2 and A3 of the DBDV were improved compared with the DB. The particle movement defect in the DB was alleviated by the DBDV, which indicates that the mixing uniformity of a DBDV is better than that of a DB.