Numerical and Experimental Models of Flow in the Converging Section of a Headbox, 2000 Papermakers Conference Proceedings

Mohammad Reza Shariati, Eric Bibeau, Martha Salcudean, Ian Gartshore --The present study investigates the flow through the converging zone of a headbox, both numerically and experimentally. The main focus of this study is on the turbulence quantities and secondary flows in the jet leaving the headbox. Both standard k-e and non-linear k-e turbulence models were used for the numerical simulation of the flow in the three-dimensional headbox model. A scale model of a hydraulic headbox was constructed from plexiglas and used with water as the working fluid. Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) was used to measure mean and fluctuating components of the velocity at different locations in the model. Both numerical and experimental results from the present study show much smaller magnitudes for secondary flows, compared to those previously reported in the literature. It was also observed that the turbulence kinetic energy computed numerically is much higher than that measured experimentally.