DEM informed surrogate modelling for PBM in fluidized beds

A novel methodology combining theoretical and experimental techniques for analyzing agglomerate growth in fluidized bed granulators has been developed. The approach integrates (i) population balance modeling (PBM) of agglomerate growth, (ii) hydrodynamic modeling of gas–solid flow using CFD-DEM, (iii) surrogate modeling of particle flow behavior and agglomerate formation, (iv) the use of material properties as a collision success criterion and (v) experimental studies of agglomeration in a pilot scale fluidized bed. A simplified CFD-DEM model of the gas–solid flow was first developed, followed by a PBM for agglomeration. Fluidized bed agglomeration experiments with the common food ingredient maltodextrin revealed that agglomerate growth was influenced by the moisture-dependent glass transition of the material. The experimental data is used to calibrate and validate the PBM, demonstrating its high accuracy in predicting agglomerate growth dynamics.