A statistical design of experiments for a rotary fluidized bed agglomeration process is performed to improve both the knowledge of the process and the influence of the process parameters. Agglomerates of a pharmaceutical formulation are manufactured in a laboratory fluidized bed rotor apparatus with a tangential spray nozzle. Particle size is measured in-line over the entire agglomeration process with a spatial filter velocimetry probe installed directly in the process chamber and off-line with dynamic image analysis for comparison. The influence of the process parameters spray rate, spray pressure, rotor speed, and process air temperature on the fluidized bed is investigated using a central composite design. In-line measurement of particle size is possible over the entire rotor process. Spray pressure, spray rate, square of process air temperature, and some interactions proved to be statistically significant. Particle size measured with spatial filter velocimetry and dynamic image analysis indicates good agreement and a similar trend. The successful application of particle size measurement in a fluidized bed rotor agglomeration at a laboratory scale using spatial filter velocimetry to improve process control and reduce the risk of failed batches serves as the basis for transferring to a production scale.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

For micro-hybrid electric vehicles, the belt-driven starter generator system is a typical idle stop–start system that is used to substitute the traditional engine front-end accessory drive system. The aim of this work is to present a method to investigate steady-state and start-up transient responses of a typical belt-driven starter generator system with twin tensioner arms for micro-hybrid electric vehicles. A dynamic model of the belt-driven starter generator system is established for this scheme, where a smoothing dynamic friction model considering the velocity-weakening effect is presented to model the tensioner dry friction. Unlike some traditional dynamic models of the belt-driven starter generator system that the engine dynamics and dynamics of the belt-driven starter generator system are decoupled, an engine dynamic model, which is embedded in the dynamic model of the belt-driven starter generator system, is also established to calculate engine resistance torques at the engine starting process stage. Influences of the tensioner dry friction and stiffness on steady-state responses of the belt-driven starter generator system especially the stick–slip oscillations of the twin tensioner arms are examined. Angular oscillations and rotation speed variations of the belt-driven starter generator pulley and C/S pulley as well as the belt tension variations during the engine starting process are calculated. Influences of the tensioner dry friction and stiffness on transient dynamic performances of the belt-driven starter generator system during the engine starting process and its starting efficiency are investigated.