Coating processes, computational fluid

This contribution outlines a multiscale simulation approach for analysis of a Wurster coating process occurring in a fluidized bed. The processes occurring in the apparatus are described on four different time and length scales The Discrete Element Method coupled with Computational Fluid Dynamics, where each particle is considered as a separate entity and its motion in fluid field is calculated, play a central role in the modeling framework. On the macroscale, the Population Balance Model describes the particle... 

The real coating process in the studied Wurster coater apparatus with the bed mass of 3 kg contains about 21.8x10 particles with the size of 550 im. Unfortunately, the numerical effort for the calculation of the DPM model increases with increasing the number of simulated particles. The DPM model is unable to represent this number of particles, at least with the actually available computing power. However, the number of particles can be reduced by conservation of the particle and fluid dynamics in the simulated apparatus and its real geometry. In this work a scaling approach proposed by Link et al. (2009) and extended by Sutkar et al. (2013) has been used, in which the scahng of the particle size was carried out. Due to the size increase, the adequate properties of sohd and gas phase have been adapted to keep the dimensionless numbers Archimedes At) and Reynolds Re) and the velocities of minimal fluidization and elutriation constant. 

A low-cost, low-power-consuming micromachined flow and pressure sensing device has also been reported. This sensor can be used for monitoring pressure and flow rate in clean fluids without particles and without the tendency to coat the channel. The pressure is measured with capacitive or piezoresistive pressure sensors and the flow rate is computed from the pressure drop over a well-defined, hydraulic resistance. Although this device is yet to be used for process analysis in industrial stream, it will gain more use in this area in the future. 

---