Simulation of Motion of Long Flexible Fibers with Different Linear Densities in Jet Flow

Abstract

Air-jet loom is a textile machine designed to drive the long fiber using a combination flow of high-pressure air from a main nozzle and a series of assistant nozzles. To make the suggestion of how to make the fiber fly with high efficiency and stability in the jet flow, in which vortices also have great influence on fiber movement, the large eddy simulation method was employed to obtain the transient flow field of turbulent jet, and a bead-rod chain fiber model was used to predict long flexible fiber motion. The fluctuation and velocity of fibers with different linear densities in jet flow were studied numerically. The results show that the fluctuation amplitude of a fiber with a linear density of 0.5 × 10−5 kg·m−1 is two times larger than that of a fiber with a linear density of 2.0 × 10−5 kg·m−1. The distance of the first assistant nozzle from the main nozzle should be less than 120 mm to avoid collision between the fiber and the loom. The efficient length of the main nozzle to carry the fiber flying steadily forward is about 100–110 mm. For fibers with a linear density of 0.5 × 10−5 kg·m−1, it is suggested that the distance of the first assistant nozzle from the main nozzle is about 110 mm. With the increase of fiber linear density, the distance could be appropriately increased to 140 mm. The simulation results provide an optimization option for the air-jet loom to improve the energy efficiency by reasonably arranging the first assistant nozzle.