Computer simulation of the packing of particles

This paper presents a brief review of the recent progress in computer simulation of particle packing with special reference to the dynamic simulation method. The need for and the development of computer simulation are first discussed. Then, the dynamic simulation method is briefly described, followed by illustrative examples to demonstrate its applicability under different packing conditions, and the results are discussed in terms of both micro- and macroscopic properties such as porosity, radial porosity oscillation, radial distribution function and co-ordination number. It is concluded that the discrete dynamic simulation can provide realistic structural information that can be used in the quantification of structural properties of a packing of particles.