Numerical Simulation of a Low Consistency Single-Disc Refiner including Analysis of Experimental Rheological Data, 2021 TAPPICon Live (21TAPL)

Refining of mechanical pulp takes place in the stock preparation and is an important step within the entire papermaking process, since it has a major impact on the final paper product. Additionally, more efficient refiners lead to reduced power demand and thus less costs and CO2 emissions. To achieve this aim, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is nowadays an essential tool within the refiners’ development process. However, adequate rheological models of the pulp are essential. 

Firstly, we discuss viscosity data of several fiber suspensions collected by use of a rotational plate-plate rheometer. For this, pulp consistency and gap size were varied. The experimental results highlight that low consistency pulp shows highly Non-Newtonian fluid behavior. Furthermore, the fiber treatment is activated if the gap size is smaller than a specific value. This is indicated by the change of the viscosity profile as a function of the shear rate. Subsequently, a rheological model was taken from the data collected experimentally for using this in the following CFD simulations. 

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