An overlapping detection algorithm for random sequential packing of elliptical particles

Random sequential packing of particles is a subject of intense research in many branches of physics and engineering. The preponderance of preview work has focused on spherical particles and little is known about non-overlapping elliptical particles. In the present work, a new numerical algorithm is developed to detect overlapping of ellipses by a series of sequential coordinate transformations and a novel golden section search algorithm. The accuracy and efficiency of the numerical algorithm are tested and compared with algorithms developed in previous literature. Its stability is verified by visualizations of random sequential packing of monodispersed and polydispersed ellipses with different boundary conditions. Then, the algorithm is applied to investigate the influence of the shape of ellipses on the random packing fraction, as well as to study the influence of the shape and size of ellipses on the wall effect in the particle packing structure, and some numerical results are demonstrated. Finally, the reliability of the numerical algorithm extended to the three-dimensional space is also evaluated by checking overlapping of ellipsoidal particles.