An Overview of Mathematical Modeling and Numerical Simulation in Glass Fiber Manufacturing

This presentation was made at CAASE18, The Conference on Advancing Analysis & Simulation in Engineering. CAASE18 brought together the leading visionaries, developers, and practitioners of CAE-related technologies in an open forum, to share experiences, discuss relevant trends, discover common themes, and explore future issues.

Resource Abstract

The presentation begins with an introductory overview of Owens Corning, followed by a focus on product forms offered by the Composites Solutions Business (CSB) of Owens Corning. Manufacturing processes for CSB products are described, with special attention placed on physical phenomena which affect productivity and the challenges associated with measuring and/or estimating their effects. Mathematical modeling and numerical simulation are used extensively in various aspects of applying technical expertise to glass fiber manufacturing, including troubleshooting, adjusting operational settings for improved performance and/or changing production levels, materials substitution, and for screening concepts for improved process design. The advantages and challenges of using numerical simulation are discussed. The modeling choices depend on the technical and/or business circumstances such as allotted time or level of detail required to render a decision. Some of these modeling choices are presented with several examples showing how simulation results help make technical decisions in glass fiber manufacturing operations. Some of these examples are multi-physics and/or multi-scale in nature, while others are less complicated but still important. Some simulations are primarily thermal and fluid flow related, and others are structural in nature. Processes included in the presentation involve glass melting, transport and thermal conditioning of glass between a melting furnace and fiber forming positions, waste heat recovery, and other aspects of the manufacturing operation. Challenges with measuring operational conditions or material properties are addressed, as they represent significant uncertainties which would ideally be eliminated. We will also cover how the simulation results and data are managed, stored, and shared. The presentation will demonstrate how modern computational resources can be leveraged to improve overall productivity and/or business agility.