Metso (Sweden)

The development of a boundary layer over a flat plate placed in a square pipe was studied in pulp suspensions at concentrations of 0.5, 1 and 1.8% at flow velocities of 0.24-0.96 m/s. Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) was used to measure velocities in the boundary layer from y=0-3 mm at x=0, 5, 10, 20 and 30 mm, where x=0 mm was the position where the flow met the plate. During the measurement time the pressure drop over the plate was also measured and it was concluded that the flow was in the rolling friction regime. The results of boundary layer thickness show that an increase in velocity or a decrease in concentration gave a thicker boundary layer in contrast to a laminar Newtonian boundary layer. In a power law fluid, boundary layer thickness decreases with an increase in shear thinning or velocity. Furthermore, in the pulp suspensions, a boundary layer with a constant thickness was reached 20 mm from the plate edge in contrast to a Newtonian and a shear thinning boundary layer which continued to increase along the plate. The difference in boundary layer development is believed to depend on the two-phase effects in pulp suspensions.

Abstract Experimental data by the authors are further analysed to gain a more detailed understanding of the mechanisms of the plug flow and near‐wall behaviour in the pipe flow of pulp suspensions at concentrations up to 4.7% by weight. The results indicate two‐phase flow effects near the wall, one being that the apparent viscosity is higher than that of water. Another is that the wall shear stress estimated with the pressure drop data and a force balance is much higher than the one obtained with the measured velocity profile, indicating the presence of mechanical friction forces.

An experimental device was constructed to study the drying kinetics of wood fibers under controlled conditions. The device consisted of a drying chamber in which a net basket filled with the fiber material was connected to a load cell. The drying medium was then forced through the basket at controlled levels of humidity and temperature. Experiments were performed with spruce fibers and the drying medium at varying temperature (50–170°C) and relative humidity (1–86%). In general, the drying rate increased with increasing temperature and decreasing relative humidity. A constant drying rate period was observed in all cases. The critical moisture content was approximately 1.25. The characteristic drying curve has a slight downward concave shape. The equilibrium moisture contents obtained at ambient temperature agree well with data in the literature.

Article Simulation and measurement of velocity and concentration of dry wood fibres flowing through a throttle was published on January 1, 2005 in the journal Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal (volume 20, issue 1).