CFD modelling of highly viscous polymer thin film flow on a vertically rotational disk partially immersed in liquid for synthesis of ployethylenterephthalat

Abstract

Paper presented at the 9th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Malta, 16-18 July, 2012.

The present study focuses on liquid thin film flows on vertically rotational disk that is partially immersed in a liquid bath. This paper aims to investigate the liquid thin film flow on a rotational disk using CFD modelling approach and employing the mathematical model as proposed by Afanasiev et. al. [1], and to define the stability and shapes of the thin film thickness profiles. The dominant factors that determine the film thickness are identified with proposing a correlation equation to predict the film thickness as a function of angular position, radius, rotating speed, viscosity and surface tension. The thin film thickness variation in the angular direction (θ) and the film dragged into the liquid are particularly investigated since they have been overlooked in previously documented researches.