Layered simulation software for optimizing freeze-drying of porous particle beds

Background

Freeze-drying is a critical process in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and food manufacturing where product stability and preservation are paramount. Despite its widespread use, traditional freeze-drying remains inefficient, requiring long cycle times and high energy input. These limitations become even more pronounced during scale-up, where maintaining uniform drying performance across larger batches poses major challenges. Current modeling tools often assume uniform sublimation and overlook the dynamic behavior of porous particle beds, leading to suboptimal process control and inconsistent product quality.

Technology overview

This MATLAB-based simulation software is designed to model the freeze-drying process in porous particle beds under low-pressure conditions. The tool divides the product bed into multiple volume-averaged layers and calculates critical variables, including temperature, water vapor pressure, ice saturation, thermal conductivity, and heat flux, at each layer over time. Using iterative time-step calculations grounded in heat and mass transfer physics, the model predicts key phenomena such as dual sublimation fronts and transient supersaturation in interior layers.
The output includes precise estimates of primary drying time and spatial variation in drying conditions, enabling optimization of process variables such as shelf temperature, chamber pressure, and container geometry. Unlike generic models, this software focuses on the complexities of porous particle beds and requires no third-party code, offering a highly customizable and accurate simulation environment.

Benefits

  • Accurately predicts complex drying dynamics in porous particle beds
  • Enables optimization of temperature, pressure, and container design
  • Reduces cycle times and energy usage by improving process control
  • Enhances scalability and consistency of freeze-dried products
  • Operates as a standalone, user-customizable modeling tool

Applications

  • Pharmaceutical freeze-drying process design
  • Nutraceutical manufacturing optimization
  • Food product shelf-stability improvement
  • Academic and industrial process modeling
  • Equipment design and scale-up planning

Opportunity

  • Addresses critical inefficiencies in traditional freeze-drying modeling
  • Offers a tailored solution for porous particle bed dynamics
  • Reduces risk and cost in scale-up and production planning
  • Available for exclusive licensing
Patent Information:
Direct Link:
https://canberra-ip.technologypublisher.com/tech/Layered_simulation_software_ for_optimizing_freeze-drying_of_porous_particle_beds
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For Information, Contact:
Gazell Call
Senior Intellectual Property Specialist
University of Texas at Austin
gazell.call@austin.utexas.edu