Study of the Process of Winding Hollow Fibers

Abstract

The processes which take place during the winding of hollow fibers are analyzed. The article describes a unit that has been developed to receive flows of hollow fibers of polysulfone (for example) created on equipment designed for forming, finishing, and drying. A bundle is formed by a certain number of hollow fibers having a certain length. As a hollow fiber is wound on the reel of the unit, it is subjected to tensile, centrifugal, and bending forces and the external pressure exerted by other fibers. The method that is described for calculating the stresses which develop in hollow fibers during their winding onto a reel makes it possible to determine the diameter of the reel’s working spokes that is optimum from the standpoint of keeping the stresses at an acceptable level.