Numerical Simulation and Improvement of Fiber Thrower Using Multi-Domain Coupling Schemes

Abstract Governing airflow poses challenges under numerous conditions, particularly for the superposition of aerodynamic behaviors induced by multiple moving boundaries, mainly because of the uncertainty of the aerodynamic mechanism. Taking the airflow disturbance in the glass fiber transport process as an example, a numerical method for multidomain coupling is proposed considering dynamic meshing boundaries. Specifically, two- and three-dimensional modeling approaches were utilized to investigate the aerodynamic behavior around a fiber thrower (including a finger wheel and pull wheel) and its axial distribution characteristics, respectively. Some aerodynamic data were obtained through the proposed numerical approach, which is difficult to monitor using experimental strategies. The computational results showed that the flow structure in the external flow field of the fiber thrower was mainly regulated by the pull wheel rather than the finger wheel. The average airflow velocity in a specific region of the fiber thrower was decreased by 25% (from 2 m/s to 1.5 m/s) by improving the cross-sectional shape of the pull wheel. The spatial scale of the vortex clusters around the fiber thrower configured with the improved pull wheel was reduced, providing a novel perspective for understanding the improvement in the aerodynamic behavior. This study on the suppression of multiple-motion boundary-induced airflow is representative of the chemical industry.