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Main Authors: Ponzini, Raffaele, Da Vià, Roberto, Bnà, Simone, Cottini, Ciro, Benassi, Andrea
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.09694
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author Ponzini, Raffaele
Da Vià, Roberto
Bnà, Simone
Cottini, Ciro
Benassi, Andrea
author_facet Ponzini, Raffaele
Da Vià, Roberto
Bnà, Simone
Cottini, Ciro
Benassi, Andrea
contents The use of computational techniques in the design of dry powder inhalers (DPI), as well as in unravelling the complex mechanisms of drug aerosolization, has increased significantly in recent years. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to study the air flow, inside the DPI, during the patient inspiratory act while discrete element methods (DEM) are used to simulate the dispersion and aerosolization of the drug product powder particles. In this work we discuss the possibility to validate a coupled CFD-DEM model for the NextHaler DPI device against previously published experimental data. The approximations and assumptions made are deeply discussed. The comparison between computational and experimental results is detailed both for fluid and powder flows. Finally, the potential and possible applications of a calibrated DPI model are discussed as well as the missing elements necessary to achieve a fully quantitatively predictive computational model.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_09694
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Coupled CFD-DEM model for dry powder inhalers simulation: validation and sensitivity analysis for the main model parameters
Ponzini, Raffaele
Da Vià, Roberto
Bnà, Simone
Cottini, Ciro
Benassi, Andrea
Applied Physics
The use of computational techniques in the design of dry powder inhalers (DPI), as well as in unravelling the complex mechanisms of drug aerosolization, has increased significantly in recent years. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to study the air flow, inside the DPI, during the patient inspiratory act while discrete element methods (DEM) are used to simulate the dispersion and aerosolization of the drug product powder particles. In this work we discuss the possibility to validate a coupled CFD-DEM model for the NextHaler DPI device against previously published experimental data. The approximations and assumptions made are deeply discussed. The comparison between computational and experimental results is detailed both for fluid and powder flows. Finally, the potential and possible applications of a calibrated DPI model are discussed as well as the missing elements necessary to achieve a fully quantitatively predictive computational model.
title Coupled CFD-DEM model for dry powder inhalers simulation: validation and sensitivity analysis for the main model parameters
topic Applied Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.09694