Material Handling for Continuous Lyophilization Process

This paper details solutions to two main challenges with a lyophilization machine: load-lock door design for isolating process chambers from the environment and other process chambers operating at different conditions and vacuum seals for complex geometries that are robust to significant temperature...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Flores, Ryan Maximiliano
Other Authors: Slocum, Alexander H.
Format: Thesis
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2023
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/147415
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author Flores, Ryan Maximiliano
author2 Slocum, Alexander H.
author_facet Slocum, Alexander H.
Flores, Ryan Maximiliano
author_sort Flores, Ryan Maximiliano
collection MIT
description This paper details solutions to two main challenges with a lyophilization machine: load-lock door design for isolating process chambers from the environment and other process chambers operating at different conditions and vacuum seals for complex geometries that are robust to significant temperature variation. The load-lock door design solution detailed in this paper is the wedge door. Using a linear actuation motion and large sealing surface angle with respect to the horizontal, the wedge door requires less space compared to the previous rotary designs, four-bar linkage and simple pivot doors. The wedge door has a length normalized leak rate of [︀formula]︀, and lifetime of 41,992 cycles before service is required which is 9.2 months of operation of the lyophilization machine. In order to seal the complex geometry of the interface between the linear motion system and the load-lock and drying chambers, an injectable vacuum seal was designed. The injectable seal uses Self-leveling Green sealant from Av-DEC injected into a rectangular groove with 2 mm depth and 9.5 mm width and sandblasted sealing surfaces. To fully fill the groove around the linear motion system module, a maximum injection pressure of 45 PSI is required. The injectable seal has a length normalized leak rate of [︀formula]︀.The injectable seal is robust to temperature variation of 10 °C to 25 °C, due to the increased adhesion of sealant to the sealing surfaces due to the increase roughness of the sandblasted surfaces.
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spelling mit-1721.1/1474152023-01-20T04:00:53Z Material Handling for Continuous Lyophilization Process Flores, Ryan Maximiliano Slocum, Alexander H. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering This paper details solutions to two main challenges with a lyophilization machine: load-lock door design for isolating process chambers from the environment and other process chambers operating at different conditions and vacuum seals for complex geometries that are robust to significant temperature variation. The load-lock door design solution detailed in this paper is the wedge door. Using a linear actuation motion and large sealing surface angle with respect to the horizontal, the wedge door requires less space compared to the previous rotary designs, four-bar linkage and simple pivot doors. The wedge door has a length normalized leak rate of [︀formula]︀, and lifetime of 41,992 cycles before service is required which is 9.2 months of operation of the lyophilization machine. In order to seal the complex geometry of the interface between the linear motion system and the load-lock and drying chambers, an injectable vacuum seal was designed. The injectable seal uses Self-leveling Green sealant from Av-DEC injected into a rectangular groove with 2 mm depth and 9.5 mm width and sandblasted sealing surfaces. To fully fill the groove around the linear motion system module, a maximum injection pressure of 45 PSI is required. The injectable seal has a length normalized leak rate of [︀formula]︀.The injectable seal is robust to temperature variation of 10 °C to 25 °C, due to the increased adhesion of sealant to the sealing surfaces due to the increase roughness of the sandblasted surfaces. S.M. 2023-01-19T19:48:36Z 2023-01-19T19:48:36Z 2022-09 2022-10-05T13:45:50.692Z Thesis https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/147415 In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted Copyright MIT http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/ application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Flores, Ryan Maximiliano
Material Handling for Continuous Lyophilization Process
title Material Handling for Continuous Lyophilization Process
title_full Material Handling for Continuous Lyophilization Process
title_fullStr Material Handling for Continuous Lyophilization Process
title_full_unstemmed Material Handling for Continuous Lyophilization Process
title_short Material Handling for Continuous Lyophilization Process
title_sort material handling for continuous lyophilization process
url https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/147415
work_keys_str_mv AT floresryanmaximiliano materialhandlingforcontinuouslyophilizationprocess