3D modeling of filtration process via polyurethane nanofiber based nonwoven filters prepared by electrospinning process

Full 3D particle filtration modeling at low pressures considering slip/transition/free molecular flow regime, particle-fiber interactions, air/particle slip, sieve and homogenous flow field has been performed for the polyurethane nanofiber filter prepared by electrospinning process and the obtained theoretical predictions for the filtration efficiency have been compared with the corresponding experimental data. Moreover, the effect of air velocity, viscosity, temperature, pressure and particle-fiber friction coefficient on the produced polyurethane nanofiber filter efficiency has been investigated in more details. In order to take all real structure features of the nanofiber filter into account (such as varying fiber diameter, curvature along its length, inhomogeneity and mat defects), a new approach for 3D nanofiber mat model construction from corresponding SEM images has been proposed and utilized. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.