Fibre transportation in confined channel with recirculations

Due to its high speed, reduced possibility for fibre damage during the processing, and high efficiency, the pneumatic conveyance of fibres within confined channels has been widely applied in textile engineering applications. However, recirculation zone(s) occurs at one, or both sides of the channel, leading to the reduction of effective width suitable for the transport of fibres, because of the sudden variation in the cross-sectional dimensions at the inlet to the transfer channel and the movement of the walls. In order to deal with the flexible fibre properties, a two-dimensional flexible fibre model was introduced, and fibre configurations were effectively and economically simulated with a Lagrangian one-way coupling model. The effect of circulation zones on fibre configuration during transferring within the channel was specifically investigated. (C) 2000 Civil-Comp Ltd. and Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.