Simulations of sprays in vessels and the effects of key variables for understanding cleaning processes

We use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to determine the structure of solvent sprays in vessels and the effects of key variables on cleaning processes for pharmaceutical equipment. These three-dimensional simulations couple a volume of fluid (VOF) model of spray formation with a discrete phase model (DPM) for spray droplet transport inside a vessel. The model is applied to static and rotating spray balls. To validate the numerical methods and models of sprays and dissolution of solute into the liquid phase, the simulations are compared with an experimental measurement of the solvent distribution in a vessel and an analytical solution for mass transfer from a soluble surface into a flowing film. Simulations are reported for different solvent properties, flow rates, and geometrical configurations to show the effects of these variables on solvent distribution in a vessel and the resulting rate of cleaning by dissolution.