Numerical Simulation of Tubular Blown Film Processing

A numerical simulation of the film blowing process was performed using the Runge-Kutta scheme. The kinematic and force balance equations governing the process are derived, and the constitutive model proposed by Cao and Campbell is utilized. The model accounts for liquidlike behavior at the freeze line; it alters the demarcation between liquidlike behavior and solidlike behavior from the suggested kinematicaly based constraint to a rheologically based constraint, the plastic-elastic transition (PET). The paper presents a detailed discussion on how the numerical models were developed and implemented. The numerical simulation was successful in duplicating Cao and Campbell's results. Recommendations are made to gain some insight into the problem.