Simulation of powder flow behavior in an artificial feed frame using an Euler‐Euler model

Abstract

The Eulerian approach is an alternative numerical method to the traditionally used discreet particle techniques for modeling powder flow, avoiding limitations on particle number and diameter. The feasibility of an Euler-Euler simulation in a pharmaceutical application was investigated. In two- and three-dimensional flow simulations, computational fluid dynamics models and parameters were determined and verified based on comparison with experiments. Residence time distributions were calculated to show the applicability of the Eulerian model with two granular phases under the constraint of a continuous setup. Finally, this model was implemented to improve the process understanding of the powder flow in an artificial feed frame of a rotary tablet press.