Model for the breakup of a tuft of fibers.
A simple model for the forces acting on a single fiber as it is withdrawn from a tangled fiber assembly is proposed. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding the dynamics of the reptating fiber with respect to the entanglement of fibers within the tuft. The resulting two-parameter model captures the qualitative features of experimental simulation. The model is extended to describe the breakup of a tuft. The results show good agreement with experiment and indicate where a tuft is most likely to fracture based on the density of fiber endpoints.
Lee
Michael E M
ME
BP Institute for Multiphase Flow, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0EZ, United Kingdom.
Kozyreff
Gregory
G
Howell
Peter D
PD
Ockendon
Hilary
H