Leakage-Flow Models for Screw Extruders

Many theoretical analyses of extrusion ignore the effect of the flight clearance when predicting the pumping capability of a screw. This might be reasonable for conventional extruder screws with “normal” clearances but leads to errors when more advanced screw designs are considered. We present new leakage-flow models that allow the effect of the flight clearance to be included in the analysis of melt-conveying zones. Rather than directly correcting the drag and pressure flows, we derived regression models to predict locally the shear-thinning flow through the flight clearance. Using a hybrid modeling approach that includes analytical, numerical, and data-based modeling techniques enabled us to construct fast and accurate regressions for calculating flow rate and dissipation rate in the leakage gap. Using the novel regression models in combination with network theory, the new approximations consider the effect of the flight clearance in the predictions of pumping capability, power consumption and temperature development without modifying the equations for the down-channel flow. Unlike other approaches, our method is not limited to any specific screw designs or processing conditions.