Numerical Simulation of Rotational Speed Sinusoidal Pulsation for Enhancing Polymer Processing Based on Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

Vibration-assisted methods are playing a more and more important role in processing polymers for twin screw extruders (TSEs) in order to satisfy the increasing requirements for polymetric products in various applications, but existing vibrating technologies are usually restricted in school laboratories and industrial research rooms because of their drawbacks. The purpose of this study is to design a novel vibration method for TSEs. Numerical simulation was performed based on a meshless method, namely smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). The velocity distribution, particle distribution, and pressure of particles in a co-rotating twin screw component in the conveying zone of a TSE are investigated in detail to recover the influence of the rotational speed excitation on the flow properties of both fully filled and partially filled states. The results show that cases under superimposed excitation can produce a more variable physical effect, thus enhancing and weakening the velocity field and the pressure field alternately. And on the whole, that effect could improve the particle distribution in according cases. These findings can lay a solid foundation for further study on the development and application of superimposed excitation technology in the polymer processing of TSEs.