High-fidelity 3D simulation of dust-loading behavior and clogging process of coarse nonwoven filter media considering collision effect

Abstract

The filter lifetime of fibrous media is important for the energy-saving application of air filters and efficient delivery of clean air. The clogging process significantly affects the dust-loading behavior of fibrous filter media. Therefore, an effective methodology for determining the deposition of dust particles inside filter structures is necessary. This study conducted numerical dust loading simulations on a three-dimensional (3D) X-ray tomographic structure of coarse nonwoven filter media. Spherical particles with a density of 1808 kg/m3 were used in the simulations instead of plate-like dust particles with a higher silica density. A high-fidelity simulation model was successfully developed by considering collision effects. Key factors were determined, including the Hamaker constant for the adhesion energy, restitution coefficient for the particle kinetic energy, and sliding motion. Remarkably, the deviation between the simulated and experimental dust holding capacity was less than 1 %. The developed simulation model enabled a quantitative evaluation of the clogging process and 3D in-situ evolution of particle deposition and pore structures. It was observed that 95.6 % of the maximum deposited dust mass within the fibrous structure was captured at the clogging point. Several computational methods yielded accurate pore size evaluations and clear 3D pore structure visualizations. The developed methodology for high-fidelity simulation and 3D analysis can be further applied to other two-phase filtration and separation fields, including aerosol filtration, coalescence filtration, membrane fouling, micro/nanoplastic capture, and oil/water separation.