Holopainen R., Salonen E.M.
Year:
2004
Bibliographic info:
Accepted for publication in a shortened form in the Energy and Buildings - REHVA Scientific on 25th February 2004

A simple model of a rotating duct cleaning brush was presented using large deformation elastic theory. The results obtained by the model were compared with the results obtained by a laboratory test. Especially, the effect of air drag on the brush behaviour was considered.
The results show that with normal properties of a brush, air drag increases the torque needed and decreases somewhat the contact force between a bristle tip and the duct surface. However, air drag affects only slightly the deflections of the bristles at practical rotating speeds of the brush 300-1000rpm) in a round duct. The modelled and experimental results for torque due to air drag were in good agreement in the case where the brush rotated without contact when a reduced air speed coefficient 0.5 was used in the simulation.