Clogging of fibrous filters: CFD simulation of particulate build-up on single fiber arrangements

摘要

The clogging of fibrous filters, in other words the process of particulate build-up first around and later between fibers is still poorly understood at the fundamental level. Current models try to predict this transient behavior on the basis of single fiber efficiency, usually without accounting for pre-existing structures or the changing influence of neighboring fibers, etc, and use much idealized geometries or very coarse grids to predict overall efficiency and pressure drop. rnWe now extended our simulations to 3D arrangements of three rows of fibers as a model for the first layer of a filter. As in previous simulations we augmented the CFD program FLUENT with our additional C-routines, regarding particle deposition and coupling of deposition and flow; this required a fine grid to resolve single deposited particles. To reduce complexity of particle deposition, the present study was limited to inertial deposition of non-charged particles. The results provide insights into the loading process up to clogging of fibrous filters.