182

Achim Schröter1, Ferdinand Schwarzfischer2, Corrado Grassi3, Yves-Simon Gloy1, Burkhard Corves2, Thomas Gries1
1RWTH Aachen University, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, ITA – Institüt für Textiltechnik,

Otto-Blumenthal Straße 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany

2RWTH Aachen University, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, IGM - Department of Mechanism Theory and

Dynamics of Machines, Kackertstraße 16–18, 52072 Aachen, Germany

3ITA Technologietransfer GmbH, Otto-Blumenthal Straße 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany

Analysis of the Weft Insertion Process and Development

of a Relay Nozzle Concept for Air-Jet Weaving
Original Scientific Article
Received 03-2016 • Accepted 04-2016

Abstract
Air jet weaving is the most productive method for the production of fabrics. However, the energy consump-
tion of air jet weaving machines is significantly higher than the consumption of other weaving machines.
Almost 80% of the energy consumed can be attributed to the losses at the relay nozzles. At the Institut für
Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany different novel relay nozzle geometries with low-
er air consumption have been developed on the basis of simulations and trials. The simulations have shown
potential energy savings up to 50% compared to conventional relay nozzles. Furthermore, practical valida-
tions of the results of these simulations have been done. The velocity, stagnation pressure and volume flow
were measured in the reed channel. In addition, an energetic and economic evaluation of the best relay
nozzle geometry was done. The evaluations have shown that up to 50% of the energy can be saved.
Keywords: energy efficiency, air jet weaving, relay nozzles, energy reduction, energy savings

1 Introduction completed, and the beat-up movement completes the

fabric production process [3].
1.1 Air Jet Weaving
The textile industry is an energy intensive industry.
The increasing energy costs represent a challenge
for textile manufacturers as well as for the develop-
ers of textile production machines. As example, the
air jet weaving is the most productive but also the
most energy consuming weaving method [1]. In the
air jet weaving process the weft yarn is inserted into Figure 1: Schematic view of an air jet weft insertion
the shed with compressed air by using different system [2]
types of nozzles. Figure 1 shows a schematic view of
the weft insertion components. 1.2 Influence of the Energy Consumption
The current state-of-the-art air jet weaving machines The air-jet weaving machine combines high per-
employ a tandem and main nozzle combination for formance (Table 1) with low wear, because no me-
the purpose to provide the initial acceleration to the chanical parts are directly involved in the weft in-
weft yarn, and a series of relay nozzles along the reed sertion process [3].
channel to keep constant yarn velocity of about 55– However, the main drawback regarding this tech-
80 m/s. A profiled reed provides guidance for the air. nology is a very high energy consumption (Table 1)
At the end of the insertion process a nozzle catches due to the compressed air usage which is required
and stretches the yarn at the right side of the machine. during the weft insertion process. Since the cost of
A cutter is used to cut the yarn when the insertion is energy has a systematic increasing trend, power

Corresponding author: Tekstilec, 2016, 59(2), 182-185

Dipl.-Ing. Achim Schröter DOI: 10.14502/Tekstilec2016.59.182-185
Phone: 0049 241 80 23454
E-mail: [email protected]
 Analysis of the Weft Insertion Process and Development of 183
a Relay Nozzle Concept for Air-Jet Weaving

consumption is still a challenging issue. In particu- yarn at a lower operating pressure level. This new
lar it is a limiting factor of the air jet weaving tech- concept enables that the relay nozzle works at 2 bar
nology in the countries with high energy and manu- inlet overpressure in place of 5 bar as the relay noz-
facturing costs. An overview of the manufacturing zles available on the market [5]. In such a way, the
costs of a woven fabric can be seen in Table 2 [5]. productivity is kept constant and the costs associated
with compressors to pump up the air are decreased.
Table 1: General characteristics of air-jet weaving The force on the yarn in the reed channel is provid-
machine [3, 4] ed by the friction between the air and the yarn sur-
face and is given by the following Equation 1 [7]:
Air jet weaving machine
Weft ınsertion rate 2000 m/min FW = ρ = cw A (c – cF)2 (1)
2
Average specific energy
3–5 kWh/kg The parameter A is the yarn surface, ρ is the air den-
consumption of woven fabric
sity and cw is the skin friction coefficient.
For instance, in Italy the total manufacturing costs The force is proportional to the square of the relative
are 0.665 USD/m of woven fabric and power costs velocity between the air stream c and the yarn cF. So
correspond to 23% (0.56 USD/m). In other coun- the air velocity is one of the most important influ-
tries such as India and China, the total manufactur- ences on the propelling force.
ing costs are lower, 0.235 USD/m and 0.274 USD/m Assumptions for the further hypothesis:
respectively, but on the other hand the power con- – steady state flow
sumption is responsible for 27% (0.064 USD/m) and – negligible yarn flexibility
34% (0.092 USD/m) respectively of the entire value. – constant yarn velocity across the shed
In order to decrease the energy consumption and to – lossless flow
increase the energy efficiency, air-jet weaving ma- – no shockwaves
chines are under constant development. At the In- – no change of flow direction
stitut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University – round free stream.
(ITA), Aachen, Germany, a novel method based on The thrust provided by the relay nozzles to the yarn
energy balances has been applied for the purpose of has the highest influence on the productivity of the
reducing the power costs while keeping constant the machine and on the quality of the product.
fabric quality. The study focused on the air flow field The study carried out at ITA focused on the deve-
of the relay nozzles [6]. lopment of a new geometry of the nozzle in order to
reduce the acting pressure without negatively affect-
2 Methods ing the productivity. Therefore, an analytical mathe-
matical model was set up at ITA which calculates
The results of the research led to the development of the maximum velocity along the free stream of an
a new geometry of the relay nozzle which is able to ideal nozzle. This calculation should help to esti-
provide the same value of propulsive force to the weft mate the amount of air velocity a nozzle is able to

Table 2: Overview of the manufacturing costs of a woven fabric in USD per meter [5]
Brazil China Egypt India Italy Korea Turkey USA
Waste 0.006 0.008 0.007 0.005 0.008 0.006 0.006 0.006
Labour 0.047 0.036 0.016 0.009 0.244 0.120 0.053 0.146
Power 0.085 0.092 0.028 0.064 0.156 0.064 0.057 0.036
Auxiliary material 0.037 0.042 0.05 0.048 0.094 0.054 0.059 0.033
Depreciation 0.077 0.072 0.058 0.065 0.132 0.064 0.062 0.099
Interest 0.06 0.024 0.039 0.044 0.031 0.018 0.031 0.022
Total manufacturing 0.312 0.274 0.198 0.235 0.665 0.326 0.268 0.342
costs [USD/m]

Tekstilec, 2016, 59(2), 182-185

184 Analysis of the Weft Insertion Process and Development of
a Relay Nozzle Concept for Air-Jet Weaving

reach under ideal circumstances. This calculation blowing angle of 6–8°. In Figure 4 the simulated
helps to benchmark the new designed nozzle. velocity of the air stream up to a distance of 120 mm
The mathematical model calculates the flow parame- behind the nozzle is shown and compared to the an-
ters under ideal conditions and is shown in Equation 2: alytical model. Figure 4 shows the velocity of the air
c(rF , d, x, c0) = c0 d exp (– rF 2 ) (2) on the vertical axes, and the distance downstream
d + mx m (d + mx) the nozzle on the horizontal axes. The nozzle is lo-
The parameter c0 is the air velocity in the core zone cated in the origin.
and d is the diameter of the nozzle. The parameter
m describes the mixing factor. The position of the
yarn is given by the parameter rF and the position x.
The parameters are shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Schematic view of a free stream and the po- Figure 4: Comparison between the velocity of the si-
sition of the yarn mulated air stream of the nozzle and the ideal
analytical model
3 Results
It can be seen that the velocity of the air is higher
By comparing the nozzle design with the mathemati- than the velocity of 50 m/s for a distance of around
cal model, different flow simulations have been car- 120 mm in the simulation and the theoretical mo-
ried out. The simulations are done by using the Com- del. The flow of the nozzle is guided and, therefore,
putational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation tool the developed nozzle works effectively. The differ-
ANSYS Fluent from ANSYS, Inc., Canonsburg, USA. ence between the simulation and the theoretical
The simulation is based on the following assumptions: model is resulting from the condition that the mod-
compressible flow field, ideal gas, steady state flow. el calculates with a lossless nozzle without change of
Based on these assumptions a CFD model was set up the flow direction.
and a CAD-model was integrated into this model. Be-
hind the nozzle outlet a free flow field with ambient
pressure is modulated. At the inlet of the nozzle, 1 bar
overpressure was set as a condition. The CFD model
with the simulated flow field is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Simulated flow field of the new nozzle concept

Figure 5: Comparison between the simulated air stre-
The air stream out of the nozzle is very compact (e.g. am of the nozzle and the calculated flow in the free
low divergence flow, no shock waves) and has a small stream at the position of the yarn

Tekstilec, 2016, 59(2), 182-185

 Analysis of the Weft Insertion Process and Development of 185
a Relay Nozzle Concept for Air-Jet Weaving

The simulation cannot give any information about The European Commission is gratefully acknowl-
the flow condition inside the reed without raising edged for its support of the Marie Curie program
the simulation time. Because of the two-dimensio- through ITN EMVeM project, Grant Agreement No:
nal projection of the analytical model, the calcula- 315967.
tion of the flow field at the position of the yarn in
the free stream is possible. This calculation gives an
estimation of the flow field which is affecting the
yarn. Figure 5 shows the calculated flow field at the References
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Tekstilec, 2016, 59(2), 182-185