GOALI: Effect of Fiber Orientation on Filter Media Performance

University Of Akron, Akron OH

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract CTS-0310429 G. Chase, University of Akron Filtration is an important operation in many industrial processes. The filter medium controls the performance and separation efficiency. Manufacturers are limited to only a few parameters to manipulate to design a medium with a desired performance. The three-dimensional fiber structure is seldom considered in design of non-woven media because difficulty in characterization and control. We will develop a method using an electrical field to control the three-dimensional structure of the filter media during construction and use our expertise in filtration to evaluate the filter media performance. This work builds upon prior and current work and has a high probability of success. In a prior NSF project a method was developed to measure the average fiber angle and angle distribution relative to the z-axis (the axis perpendicular to the plane of the filter sheet). The glass fiber filter media tested in the prior work were limited by the formation method to average angles in the range of 45 to 90 degrees. Liquid filtration experiments show that the filter performance is significantly affected by the fiber angle and that media with smaller angles have improved permeabilities. In a current work in progress, filter media are experimentally tested for effectiveness in coalescence and removal of submicron oil drops from pressurized air. Experimental data from this work show that media angles closer to 45 degrees in the 45 to 90 degree range perform better than media with larger angles. The media to be constructed in this proposed work will extend the fiber angle range to the 0 to 45 degree range. These media will be tested in the liquid filtration and gas phase coalescence experiments to correlate the performance to the fiber angles in the 0 to 45 degree range that has not been tested previously. Such correlations will provide manufacturers the means to predict filter performance to optimize parameters such as pressure drop and capture efficiency. Preliminary experiments show that glass fibers, typical of those used in non-woven media, are strongly oriented by electrical fields. In this proposed work sheet formers will be constructed with electrodes to generate electric fields that orient the fibers while the sheets are formed. A set of media samples will be made with a variation of average fiber angles in the 0 to 45 degree range as measured relative to the z-axis. This proposal is a GOALI proposal. The broader impacts of this project include training of student engineers in particle technology and establishing a strong collaboration with the Parker Hannifin Corporation to enhance process development and to promote technology transfer. Additional outlets for this technology are provided through the Coalescence Research Consortium of six filter companies, at the University of Akron, and a partnership in Combined Research and Curriculum Development on multiphase transport phenomena between the University of Akron, Michigan State University, and University of Tulsa. As part of this project the co-PI engineer from Parker Hannifin will visit the University of Akron twice per year as an industrial advisor on the project, to give seminars to undergraduate classes, and to conduct question and answer sessions with students. The students and faculty will visit Parker Hannifin each year to conduct experiments at Parker's Oxford, Michigan facility. The results will also be linked to the AICHE Particle Technology Forums website for Educational Resources for Particle Technology (ERPT).