Main Nozzle - Function of main nozzle is to convert the pressure energy of compressed air into kinetic

energy. Air pressure generally kept around 4-6 bar and depends on

• Yarn Count – Coarser count required

higher pressure

• Yarn Structure

• Loom speed – Higher speed required the

higher pressure

• Loom Width

Design and Working

Zone-I
• Entry of compressed air into annular space where it expand and moves forward.
• Reducing cross-section area of Zone-I working as contractor, due to which the velocity of air
gradually decreased
• The weft is sealed from air flow in this zone by insert, which exposed the weft to the air flow. At
the end of Zone-II, only when the air flow is imparted the required velocity and proper direction
along the axis of nozzle.
Zone II
• Air reaches the maximum velocity.
• Air contact with weft first time.
• A low pressure area is created is this zone, due to which air is sucked in the form of back of nozzle
through the insert, this airflow called secondary or induced air flow.
 • This secondary air flow is found to be provide lower turbulency, more uniform velocity and more
uniform acceleration, which will create higher force to the weft yarn. The secondary air flow thus
a positive aspect for weft insertion.
Zone III
• This zone is formed by constant diameter acceleration tube.
• The airflow created acts on the weft and accelerate it along the nozzle axis thus imparting it
velocity.
• Coarser the yarn, then longer will be the acceleration tube.
• Here the air velocity is decreases because the frictional force between the weft and air, and air and
metal tube.
Zone IV
• It form the zone outside the nozzle, where without any other guide system, the air expands freely
and mixes up with surrounding air thus loses the velocity over short distance.

Fixed main nozzle along with moveable nozzle also called Tandom Nozzle System

Fixed Main Nozzle- It is fixed because yarn form it’s withdrawn from accumulator which is fixed.

Fixed Main Nozzle Function - To withdraw the yarn from accumulator and present it to movable main
nozzle at a low level of tension. The unwinding tension is thus compensated.
Hence the function of the withdrawal of yarn from accumulator and accelerate it. It is now dividing
between two nozzles, so that the pressure of first nozzle to be kept at lower level and sharing a gentle
action on the weft yarn, in other word we can say that, we get higher velocity of weft for a given air
pressure.

Movable Main Nozzle - The movable main nozzle are mounted on the slay, so that nozzle can be placed
correct position with respect to guide channel and moved with it. This ensure that the movement of the
reed does not disturb the airjet, which is formed, at same time airjet as well as weft remain within the guide
channel during insertion.
Type of Insert - Either Conical or Cylindrical
Conical Insert • It is preferred for spun yarns.
• Direct impact of air on weft at an angle
• More aggressive action.
• More efficient of energy transfer.

Cylindrical Insert • Air coming in contact with the weft in parallel

fashion.
• Less aggressive action.
• Less energy transfer efficient.
• Suitable for continuous yarn or delicate.
Air Guidance – Air velocity without guide channel
X=Distance along the nozzle axis
Ux= Velocity at distance of x

Air Projecting into free space, grow expand at 130

• If the airjet from nozzle is projected in the free atmosphere, it start to expand at around 13 degree angle
mix-up with surrounding air, and become completely turbulent at a short distance from nozzle and
losses it velocity.
• The guide channel if used, confining the free expansion of air and maintain its velocity over a long
distance greater than the weaving width maybe thus be possible with the use of guide channel.

Air Velocity with guide channel

Ux = Uo e-cx : exponential variation of air velocity.

Uo = Air velocity of channel entrance

C= Loss coefficient (14 to 23 at distance of 1.5 meter)

• Without guide channel we have hyperbolic variation of air velocity.

• Air velocity only 4% of its original value at a distance of 1.5 meter

Type of Guide Channel

Guide Channel

Confuser (Oldest) Profile Reed

Biphase

Single Nozzle and Suction Multiple Nozzle (System 2)

at Receiving End Active Insertion
1) Passive Insertion
1) CONFUSER+MAIN NOZZLE+SUCTION

Confuser are metal rings that are mounted on the

series across the width of sley, the channel thus

form through the rings act as the guide channel

for air and weft.

• The confuser element went up from the bottom of warp sheet into shed during insertion, so that the
channel was position in to shed. While during beat-up the confuser element went below the lower warp
sheet as shown in figure above to enable the beat-up.
• The confuser element had a gap at one side through which weft is able to come out during beat-up.
• Width without relay nozzle of this system as well as with suction is only 165 cm.
2) CONFUSER + MAIN NOZZLE+ ADDITIONAL NOZZLES (ACTIVE INSERTION)
• Additional air flow created to enable greater weaving width
• By placing additional nozzle between confusion element
• Hence greater weaving with possible

Disadvantages
1) Limitation in weft density - Since the gap between the confuser elements had to be kept small. Little
room is available for the passage of warp yarn during sheet formation.
Higher the weft density, then more severe was the problem, shed formation thus restricted in this system
2) Unnecessary abrasion and stress on the warp yarn due to the passage of warp yarn through the narrow gap
of confuser element during shed formation.
3) PROFILE REED + MAIN NOZZLE + ADDITIONAL NOZZLE (ACTIVE INSERTION)
Here the reed wire are so profiled so as to form

a channel through which the airjet as well as weft

made to pass

Now a days this system is followed by all manufacturers and confuser ring of previous system work totally
discarded
Advantages
1) No restriction of warp density
2) No unnecessary strain and abrasion on the warp yarn.
Disadvantages
1) Less efficient because confuser system consumes 30% less than energy that of profile reed.
2) More costly.

PROFILE REED
Specification of profile lead in general

AIR FLOW VALUE

It is amount of air flow measured in guide channel at a certain distance from relay nozzle, blowing at a definite
pressure.
AIRFLOW GIVEN BY CHANNEL
It is the amount of air pressure at guide channel at a distance of 110 mm from relay nozzle placed in current
position and glowing of the pressure at 5 bar.

HIGH AIR FLOW VALUE REED - 30 mbar

MEDIUM AIRFLOW VALUE - 15 mbar

LOW AIRFLOW VALUE REED - 10 mbar

FACTOR AFFECT THE AIRFLOW VALUE

• Dimension of guide channel density

• Density of dent
• Angle between reed wire front surface and axis of guide channel.
So that air-flow deflected in guide channel not
turbulency go for outside.

Too high air flow value- yarn forced out of guide channel
Too low air flow value- Yarn fly at lower value in the guide channel or rub with bottom surface of the guide
channel and loom get stopped.

Proper level of yarn flight is guide channel- 2/3 or ¾ (4-4.5 mm) of height of guide channel

For spun yarn mostly medium air flow value need is preferred

Conical Entrance of Guide Channel - Few reed wire at the beginning kept plan or flat instead of main profile
because for the proper entry of weft in guide channel or weft not out from guide channel at the start of insertion.
Relay Nozzle- Significance of relay nozzle.
Position Control - Where the position of weft is determined by the position of weft insertion element.
Hear the weft positively gripped by insertion element (projectile or rapier). The velocity of weft is equal to
the velocity of insertion element at any given point of instance.

FORCED CONTROL (Insertion of weft by forced air) - Here are the following things happen
• Weft pulled by drag force generated by air.
• Velocity of weft not equal to the velocity of air.
• The position of weft is not determined at any instance by velocity of air.
Drag force proportional to (relative velocity)2

• Relay nozzle create an additional air flow greater than yarn velocity.
• Initially with an acceleration tube the air velocity fairly constant while the yarn velocity is zero.
• This translate to maximum relative velocity between air and yarn hence drag force to yarn maximum.

This marked Zone-I in figure above where the yarn is thus rapidly accelerated and imparted velocity. This is
called the instance acceleration zone.
Once within the guide channel air velocity start decreases exponentially thus decreasing the relative air
velocity between air and yarn.

This is marked Zone II in figure where because decrease in drag force; the yarn is slowly accelerated. This
zone thus termed as weak acceleration zone where yarn velocity decreases slowly.

With continuous decrease in air velocity after a certain distance from nozzle, the air velocity is become equal
to the yarn velocity thereafter yarn containers to move because of inertia. While air velocity become less than
the yarn velocity which zone is marked zone 3 in the figure. Where relative velocity is negative and
acceleration force changes to the de-acceleration force.

In this zone thus, the propelling force of air is converted into braking force, resulting in diversion of yarn from
its path, buckling at its tips and loop formation take place.

Single nozzle system are thus limiting in weaving width. So relay nozzles are fitted across the sley in order to
create an additional air flow within the guide channel, so as to maintain the air velocity at a level higher than
the yarn velocity.
Greater weaving width thus possible. To summarize it is a function of main nozzle to accelerate the yarn and
impart a required velocity to it. Without any additional airflow in guide channel, the air velocity decreases
exponentially with distance and ultimately become less than the yarn velocity.

This result in buckling of yarn, diversion from its path and loop formation which results in restricting weaving
width. Relay nozzle does fitted to create the additional airflow, that compensate the loss of air velocity due to
dissipation of air and maintain it a level higher than the yarn velocity. The air flow within the guide channel
is then able to transport the yarn delivered by main nozzle in straight and stretch condition. The function of
relay nozzle is does not to import the speed to the yarn but to maintain it.

Relay Nozzle Pressure

Pressure level should be such that the air flow within guide channel is just enough to transport the amount of
air is delivered by main nozzle in a straight and stretch condition. In other words the pressure is just enough
to maintain the velocity of yarn that is imparted by main nozzle.
Too Low Pressure
• Diversion of yarn from its path
o Flying at lower level
o Rubbing with bottom surface of guide channel

Due to above both the reason there is always chance of false detection of weft brake or stop.

• Buckling of tip, loop formation lead to weft stop.

Too High pressure

• Unnecessary stretch of yarn results in increase of weft break

• Increased power consumption
• Percentage of total power consumption 70% by air supply
o 80% by relay nozzle
o 20% by main nozzle
From above data it can be concluded that main nozzle is more energy efficient.
As stated above reason that to increase the weft velocity, we should not increase the relay nozzle pressure
because of following.
o More number of relay nozzles then the main nozzle
o Main nozzle is more energy efficient than relay nozzle.

Relay Nozzle Arrangement and Spacing

• Relay nozzle are arrange in series across the width of sley

• Nozzle spacing at a fixed distance from each other
 o Too large spacing then
▪ Higher pressure required for a given stretch.
▪ Less number of relay nozzle
o Too small spacing
▪ Lower air pressure required for a given stretch.
▪ High number of relay nozzle

Spacing kept to be at optimum level to achieve minimum air consumption for required velocity of yarn.
Spacing kept at
• Regular
• Close ( last 6 to 7 nozzle)

Picanol Sulzer
Regular 74 mm 77 mm
Close 37 mm 37 mm

So as to last group of relay nozzle are closely spaced in order to provide enhanced stretching action, near the
end of insertion so that, the chance of weft recoiling at the end of insertion is minimized (at the end of insertion
, as the weft travelled at high velocity . The stopper act to stop the yarn suddenly, this sudden action may cause
there coiling of the weft yarn leading to upstretched yarn with loop formation in fabric.)

Air Supply - The nozzle are supplied from compressed air from respective air tank via electromagnetic valve.
Each main nozzle have its own one electromagnetic air valve. Each relay nozzle are connected in a group with
electromagnetic valve. Each group comprises 2-5 relay nozzle. The electromagnetic air valve function is either
activating or deactivating respective air nozzle group at a precise time during weft insertion. The
electromagnetic valve automatically controlled through the loom microprocessor on precise time. Each group
of relay nozzle controlled independently.

Blowing Action

The relay nozzle group have sequentially blowing action as explained above. Each group of relay nozzle start
to blow precisely at moment when weft yarn tip arrived at the group.
Blowing action earlier than that time is unnecessary as it only increase the air consumption. The group then
should continuously to blow, till the weft is satisfactorily taken up by the next group. Further blowing is not
desirable because that not only increase the air consumption but also leads to a pushing action instead of
pulling action on the weft of its tip.

So that a certain overlap thus enlist between the blowing time of the successive relay nozzle group. The relay
nozzle blowing thus sequential and set precisely according to the path of weft.

Relay Nozzle Type

Types of Relay Nozzle

Single Hole Multiple Hole or Shower Type

Confuser (Oldest)

Conventional Tapered (c)

Multiple Hole ( Mostly used) Single Hole Air Passage (Circular/

rectangle/Star/ Ellipse)
Jets are less divergent Jets are more divergent
Less variation of direction of jets More variation of direction of jets
with change in pressure with change in pressure

Cylindrical Hole Tapered Hole (Preferred)

Jet is less divergent Jets also less divergent
Direction of jets is less influenced Direction of jet is mores influenced
by change in pressure. by change in pressure.

Relay Nozzle Position

• Vertical Position w.r.t to guide channel

Standard position –Tip of the nozzle just is in line with lower surface of guide channel.
 Higher position than above give better performance but the chance of warp damage (Relay nozzle mark –
fabric fault)

• Angle of Blowing –Either up/down or front/back

These adjustment to be done so that weft flight is maintained at 2 / 3 or 3 / 4 flight height of guide channel

single hole conventional tapered multiple hole or shower type multiple hole Jets are less divergent less
variation of direction of jet with change in pressure single whole air passage circular rectangular star ellipse

Stretch Nozzle- Fitted on the reed at receiving side just after or beside the web detector.

• The stretched nozzle supplement the effect of enhanced stretching action provided by the last group of
closely spaced relay nozzle, so that any chance of weft recoiling at the end of insertion is minimised
or prevented.
• Different design exist where the weft yarn and is either blown or sucked into device and hold it via a
pneumatic action.
• The stretch nozzle should start to blow just before arrive of the web at receiving side and should stop
to blowing once the shed is closed.
• Though the stretch nozzle are optional for staple yarn. It is must for filament yarn because, the blowing
time of the last group of relay nozzle is limited. For filament yarn since they cannot continue to blow
till the shed is close which lead to the chance of warp damage in the lower worksheet due to air flow.