A model of oil burnout from glass fabric

A mathematical model is proposed for the process of the removal (by burning) of oil contained in a glass fibre insulation fabric manufactured in Latvia. The small aspect ratio of the fabric allows simplifications to the modelling which reduce the problem to a single nonlinear ordinary differential equation. When the effects of reflected radiation are also included, the differential equation is supplemented by two integral equations. Predictions of the position of the ‘burning zone’ accord well with observations made at the factory. The effect of the inclusion of extra heating chambers is also examined, and it is found that the temperature gradient in the fabric may be greatly decreased in t…