A Computation Study of Filtration Process with Different Pleat Shapes

Abstract

Growing the density of particulate matters (PM) suspended in the air is one of the major challenges in cities worldwide due to industrialization and urbanization. There are several factors and their combinations that are the fundamental causes for growing air pollution. Air filtration with high-efficiency filters is one of the solutions to minimize air pollution. In this present study, we numerically examine the flow field comprising pleated air filters using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis tool ANSYS Fluent 19.0.The pleated air filters were investigated with different pleat shapes with various geometric design parameters, i.e. pleat height, pleat pitch and pleat thickness. The variation of velocity is also studied on different geometric parameters considered in the present study. Three RANS-based turbulence model, namely standard $k-\epsilon$ model, realizable $k-\epsilon$ and RNG $k-\epsilon$ model, have been tested for the computation of the present case. The results obtained from the simulations have been validated using published experimental data. The RNG $k-\epsilon$ model showed the closest agreement with the published experimental data. A comparative study has been carried out between M-type and V-type pleats shapes. The obtained numerical results show that the performance of filters depends not only on the design parameters but also on the shape of pleats. For a constant value of pleat height, pleat pitch medium thickness and inlet air velocity, the pressure drops in M-type pleat are found more than twice in V-type pleats.