Numerical simulation of three-dimensional airflow in a novel dual-feed rotor spinning box

Abstract

In order to regulate turbulence strength and determine airflow characteristics in a new dual-feed rotor spinning unit, the internal flow field is investigated. A computational fluid dynamics technique is employed to numerically study the three-dimensional model of the internal airflow in the new design. The effects of air velocity variation on turbulence strength, negative pressure, Re, and wall pressure distribution are investigated based on simulation data and previous studies. The results show that the turbulence strength and Re increased with increase in inlet air velocity. Pressure profiles inside the rotor varied significantly with positive pressure observed at the channel exits. Minimal inlet velocity maintains the flow field in the rotor interior below 100 m/s, which gives the ideal turbulence required to minimize yarn quality deterioration. The dual-feed rotor spinning unit showed more orderly streamline patterns with fewer vortices compared to the conventional one. The numerical simulation can provide insights on airflow studies and some guidelines for future prototyping and experiments to further improve the new design.