An Asymmetrical, Three-Dimensional Model for Fibrous Filters

The flow in a filter media represented by a three-dimensional fiber arrangement has been modeled using a finite volume approach. This results in a better estimate of fiber drag and accounts for some of the difference between theory and experimental results. In addition, the effect of interfiber distance and packing density distribution on drag characteristics is obtained numerically. An equivalent fiber diameter based on the numerically obtained fiber drag is compared with experimental values. The excellent agreement of numerical results with experimental values reveals the advantage of considering these media properties in modeling filter behavior.