pps proceeding - Abstract Preview
pps proceeding
Symposium: S17 - (Special Symposia 4) Honorary Session for Prof. Sung Chul KIM
Keynote Presentation
 
 

Long Flexible Fiber Deformation Patterns in Squeeze Flow

Hrymak Andrew (1)*, Meirson Gleb (1)

(1) University of Western Ontario - London, Ontario - Canada

Long-flexible fiber orientation under the influence of a squeeze flow field is an important engineering problem. One can encounter this problem in many fields. For example, in Long Fiber Thermoplastics (LFT) produced in a compression molding process, the flow could be approximated as a squeeze flow. Modeling fiber orientation is important since it affects the final properties of the fiber reinforced thermoplastic product. Fiber orientation models under flow are constructed mostly for short fibers represented as ellipsoids and usually simulated in a simple shear flow case, though this case is important it is not a suitable model for long fibers in compression molding. In the current work long flexible fiber was simulated in a rheometric squeeze flow using a model representing the long fiber previously proposed by the authors. The model is unique in its representation of a fiber as a set of cylinders rather than ellipsoids or spheres and in accounting for the velocity gradient along the fiber, which is important for long fiber simulation. The present work presents the influence of fiber’s initial conditions (location and orientation) on the pattern of its deformation and orientation as it is being influenced by the squeeze flow. It is known that the path the fiber will take in the squeeze flow field depends on its initial position, and in this work the direction of fiber rotation, as well as the shapes it will undergo during the flow, also depends on its initial position and orientation.