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Product design based on discrete particle modeling of a fluidized bed granulator
Publikationstyp
Journal Article
Date Issued
2014-02
Sprache
English
Journal
Volume
12
Issue
1
Start Page
13
End Page
24
Citation
Particuology 12 (1): 13-24 (2014-02)
Publisher DOI
Scopus ID
Fluidized bed agglomeration is a process commonly used to construct powdered food or pharmaceutical products to improve their instant properties. This works analyzes the influence of a wide range of operating parameters (i.e., fluidization air flow rate, temperature, and liquid injection rate) on growth rate, process stability, and product particle structure. Different granulator configurations (i.e., top spray, Wurster coater, spouted bed) are compared using identical process parameters. The impacts of both process variables and granulator geometry on the fluidization regime, the particle and collision dynamics, and the resulting product structure and corresponding properties are studied in detailed simulations using a discrete particle model (DPM) and lab-scale agglomeration experiments with amorphous dextrose syrup (DE21). The combination of numerical and experimental results allows to correlate the kinetics of micro-scale particle interactions and the final product properties (i.e., agglomerate structure and strength). In conclusion, detailed DPM simulations are proven as a valuable tool for knowledge-based product design. © 2013 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Subjects
Agglomeration
Collision dynamics
Discrete element method
Fluidization
Food powder