Residence time distributions of different size particles in the spray zone of a Wurster fluid bed studied using DEM-CFD
Journal article, 2015

Particle cycle and residence time distributions in different regions, particularly in the spray zone, play an important role in fluid bed coating. In this study, a DEM-CFD (discrete element method, computational fluid dynamics) model is employed to determine particle cycle and residence time distributions in a laboratory-scale Wurster fluid bed coater. The calculations show good agreement with data obtained using the positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) technique. The DEM-CFD simulations of different size particles show that large particles spend a longer time in the spray zone and in the Wurster tube than small particles. In addition, large particles are found on average to move closer to the spray nozzle than small particles, which implies that the large particles could shield small particles from the spray droplets. Both of these effects suggest that large particles receive a greater amount of coating solution per unit area per cycle than small particles. However, the simulations in combination with the PEPT experiments show that this is partly compensated for by a longer cycle time for large particles. Large particles thus receive more coating per unit area per pass through the spray zone, but also travel through the spray zone less frequently than small particles.

Spray zone

Discrete element method

Fluid bed

Coating

Residence time distribution

Author

Liang Li

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemical Technology

Johan Remmelgas

AstraZeneca AB

B. G. M. van Wachem

Imperial College London

Christian von Corswant

AstraZeneca AB

M. Johansson

AstraZeneca AB

S. Folestad

AstraZeneca AB

Anders Rasmuson

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemical Technology

Powder Technology

0032-5910 (ISSN) 1873-328X (eISSN)

Vol. 280 124-134

Subject Categories

Chemical Engineering

Chemical Sciences

DOI

10.1016/j.powtec.2015.04.031

More information

Latest update

4/20/2018