Modelling the carding of recycled carbon fibre
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Mathematical Institute
Abstract
This project falls within the EPSRC continuum mechanics research area.
This project is undertaken with Industrial Partner Gen2Carbon Ltd (formerly ELG Carbon Fibre)
ELG Carbon Fibre has been operating the world's first commercial scale continuous carbon fibre recycling plant since 2009. The site is fully licensed by the UK Environment Agency and has the capacity to process in excess of 2000 metric tons of carbon fibre composite waste each year. ELG-CF has a strong expertise in the recycling of carbon fibres and the re-use of those recycled fibres. Its focus in the last few years has been to develop and industrialise conversion technologies to manufacture recycled carbon fibre products that can be reintroduced to the composites and compounding industries. Thanks to a pyrolysis process, carbon fibres are recovered from various types of feedstock (dry, laminates, prepreg) coming from the manufacture or end of life stages. ELG-CF are interested in understanding, from a mathematical viewpoint, the carding of recycled carbon fibres and the subsequent cross lapping and needle punching of the web, leading to a fully consolidated nonwoven. The end-users of such nonwovens are primarily the automotive and electronic industries. Recycled carbon fibres are by nature discontinuous, and present a low bulk density, limited elasticity and, due to thermal recovery treatment, different surface characteristics. A carding organ, despite being well-known textile equipment, is governed by nearly twenty different parameters that can be modified. All those different variables impact the way the fibres flow throughout the machinery, how aligned they are and how long they will be in the web. Variations can be seen in the final product and a purely experimental approach is not practical for stabilising the production of those materials.
In this project, we will derive, analyse and solve mathematical models for a non-woven web of carbon fibres, building on the achievements of the associated mini-project, during which a simple continuum model for a web of fibres passing through a single pair of cylinders in a carding machine was developed. We will refine the model to take account of elastic and plastic effects in the deforming web and to describe in detail the effects of the carding hooks and their geometry. We will develop a numerical solution to the model which will then be used to simulate the whole carding process and thus to predict the properties of the web from the control parameters of the carding machine. The model will be validated, where possible, against experiments performed at ELG-CF. Subsequent work will focus on the later parts of the process, namely cross-lapping and needling. Our ultimate aim is to develop mathematical tools to optimise the quality of the end product.
Potential outcomes:
(i) A validated mathematical model describing the flow of material through a carding machine
(ii) Predictions for how to change the control parameters to optimise the process
(iii) Models for cross-lapping and needling
(iv) A mathematical tool for optimising the quality of the product
This project is undertaken with Industrial Partner Gen2Carbon Ltd (formerly ELG Carbon Fibre)
ELG Carbon Fibre has been operating the world's first commercial scale continuous carbon fibre recycling plant since 2009. The site is fully licensed by the UK Environment Agency and has the capacity to process in excess of 2000 metric tons of carbon fibre composite waste each year. ELG-CF has a strong expertise in the recycling of carbon fibres and the re-use of those recycled fibres. Its focus in the last few years has been to develop and industrialise conversion technologies to manufacture recycled carbon fibre products that can be reintroduced to the composites and compounding industries. Thanks to a pyrolysis process, carbon fibres are recovered from various types of feedstock (dry, laminates, prepreg) coming from the manufacture or end of life stages. ELG-CF are interested in understanding, from a mathematical viewpoint, the carding of recycled carbon fibres and the subsequent cross lapping and needle punching of the web, leading to a fully consolidated nonwoven. The end-users of such nonwovens are primarily the automotive and electronic industries. Recycled carbon fibres are by nature discontinuous, and present a low bulk density, limited elasticity and, due to thermal recovery treatment, different surface characteristics. A carding organ, despite being well-known textile equipment, is governed by nearly twenty different parameters that can be modified. All those different variables impact the way the fibres flow throughout the machinery, how aligned they are and how long they will be in the web. Variations can be seen in the final product and a purely experimental approach is not practical for stabilising the production of those materials.
In this project, we will derive, analyse and solve mathematical models for a non-woven web of carbon fibres, building on the achievements of the associated mini-project, during which a simple continuum model for a web of fibres passing through a single pair of cylinders in a carding machine was developed. We will refine the model to take account of elastic and plastic effects in the deforming web and to describe in detail the effects of the carding hooks and their geometry. We will develop a numerical solution to the model which will then be used to simulate the whole carding process and thus to predict the properties of the web from the control parameters of the carding machine. The model will be validated, where possible, against experiments performed at ELG-CF. Subsequent work will focus on the later parts of the process, namely cross-lapping and needling. Our ultimate aim is to develop mathematical tools to optimise the quality of the end product.
Potential outcomes:
(i) A validated mathematical model describing the flow of material through a carding machine
(ii) Predictions for how to change the control parameters to optimise the process
(iii) Models for cross-lapping and needling
(iv) A mathematical tool for optimising the quality of the product
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/T517653/1 | 01/10/2019 | 30/09/2025 | |||
| 2439271 | Studentship | EP/T517653/1 | 01/10/2019 | 30/09/2023 | Joseph Roberts |