Slide1: UBC Mechanical Engineering CFD Modeling Group Dr. Martha Salcudean Weyerhaeuser Industrial Research Chair Fellow C.S.M.E., F.C.A.A., F.R.S.C. Dr. Ian Gartshore Fellow C.A.S.I PULP AND PAPER COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS APPLICATIONS Objectives: Predict and control fiber fractionation according to wood species Develop a model of flexible fiber motion that includes wall interaction Compute trajectories of fibers in complex flows Model fractionation during screening and in hydrocyclones Benefits: Improve supply of uniform fibers and increase quality and consistency of pulp FLUID-FIBER INTERACTION Objectives: Determine the air flow and moisture distribution in wood kilns Optimize kiln operations and improve wood quality Model: 3-D curvilinear non-orthogonal computational method with transient mass and heat transfer calculations to model the drying process End-Users: Kiln operators and manufactures WOOD KILNS Objectives: Develop a comprehensive bark boiler gas flow and combustion model Optimize the thermal efficiency and emissions of boilers and identify promising and cost-effective design upgrades Model: Momentum and conservation equations for mass, energy and gas species concentration using the turbulence k- model are solved simultaneously Chip combustion includes the evaporation of water, release of volatile gases and gas radiation heat transfer End-Users: Bark boiler operators and manufacturers BARK BOILERS FUNDING - NSERC - FRBC - B.C. Science Council - Weyerhaeuser - CANFOR - PSL Objectives: Develop modeling tools to improve existing designs and operating procedures, and to lower carry-over and environmental load Analyze performance of different air systems and liquor firing strategies Model: 3-D orthogonal computational method with k- turbulent model, liquor combustion, particle tracking, and wall and gas radiation Flow equations coupled to the energy and species conservation equations Predicts gas flows, composition, temperature, and liquor-smelt-char particulate distribution Benefits: Powerful modeling tool to optimize recovery boilers, reduce plugging rates, reduce time between water washes, analyze performance of different air systems, improve operating procedures, lower carry-over, and reduce environmental load RECOVERY BOILERS Zhengbing Bian Paul Nowak Eric Bibeau Mohammad Shariati Suqin Dong Emil Statie Xioasi Feng David Stropky Mike Georgallis Zhu Zhi Xiao Pingfan He Jerry Yuan Jason Zhang Kegang Zhang R = 0 % R = 8 % R = 1 5 % Tube Position A v e r a g e V e l o c i t y ( m / s ) Objectives: Investigate experimentally flows in headboxes with a range of fiber concentration Develop computational-based methods to simulate the complex flows occurring in headboxes Model: 3-D curvilinear non-orthogonal computational method with low Reynolds k-  model and with non-isotropic, non-linear versions of the k- model End-Users: Headbox manufactures and paper mills HEADBOXES Objectives: Model the delignification process occurring within digesters Calculation of liquid and solid conservation equations for multi-dimensional flow Model: Liquid-solid two-phase flow model coupled to the energy and conservation of species equations Benefits: Better understanding of process to improve yield and fiber strength Flexible Fiber Rotation Objectives: Improve predictions of swirling flows Develop mathematical models to predict the classification of fibers Model: Discretization using block structured curvilinear grids Modified k- model for highly curved turbulent flows Particle tracking through explicit time marching based on force balance End-Users: Pulp mills requiring high efficiencies for fiber cleaning and fractionation HYDROCYCLONES DIGESTERS