The Influence of Fiber Geometry and Orientation Angle on Filtration Performance

Abstract

In this article, the particle filtration processes of five noncircular fibers with triangular, quatrefoil, trilobal, rectangular, and elliptical cross-sections were numerically investigated, and the pressure drop, capture efficiency, and quality factor due to three main capture mechanisms (diffusion, interception, and inertial impaction) were calculated. By comparing the results with circular fiber, which has the same volume fraction as the five noncircular fibers, the following results can be found. The diffusional capture efficiency, which is highly dependent on the superficial area of fibers, is almost independent of the orientation angle for all fibers. For the quatrefoil, trilobal, and elliptical fibers, as the aspect ratio of component ellipse increases, the capture range also increases, as does the capture efficiency due to three different mechanisms. When considering submicron particles with medium size, which are difficult to capture with circular fibers (especially when dominated by the intercep...