Flow-induced deformation of filter media - Part 1: Experimental characterization and 3D simulation of the mechanical properties of filter media during perfusion

Nonwoven filter media are commonly used in multiple filtration applications especially oil and fuel filtrations. The filter media are subjected to the forces from the fluid flow that cause the deformation of fibers and fiber bonds. The flow-induced strong deformation can lead to the irreversible change of the fiber microstructure causing an undesirable change of the permeability and efficiency or, in the critical case, the rupture of the filter medium. For optimization of filter media and filtration processes, the mechanical interactions between the fluid and the filter media have to be described depending on the material properties of fibers and the binder, microstructure and bonding mechanisms by experiments and numerical calculations.