1995 Volume 23 Issue 3 Pages 139-144
A new numerical method has been developed for predicting fiber orientation in complex flows. This method combines the particle simulation method (PSM) with the finite element method (FEM) for flow analysis. PSM models a fiber as sequence of N spheres each having a diameter identical to that of the fiber, where N is the aspect ratio of the fiber. The equation of motion formulated for every sphere is solved under a flow field obtained from the FEM analysis, and the motion of the fiber is described as the combined motion of all spheres. Accuracy of PSM was examined for a test case, orientation of short fibers in two-dimentional diverging flows: The fiber orientation calculated with the method developed here was in good agreement with the known, theoretical orientation.
