A FULLY THREE DIMENSIONAL NUMERICAL APPROACH SIMULATING THE MELTING ZONE IN A SINGLE-SCREW EXTRUDER

摘要

This paper presents a fully 3D numerical approach to simulate the melting process in a single screw extruder. The fundamental equations of fluid dynamics are solved using the software Fluent distributed by ANSYS, Inc. The screw geometry is modeled as a helical shaped channel and the principle of reversed kinematics is applied defining the screw as stationary. The solid bed is modeled as a fluid with a very high viscosity by adjusting the formulation of the Carreau model for temperatures below the melting temperature. The model predicts the melting length, pressure build-up and the velocity and temperature distribution within the channel.