The paper reports on the development of a numerical model for the simulation of a lyophilization process in a vial. Experimental analysis is presented of lyophilization dynamics inside a single vial in a laboratory scale lyophilizer. The problems of lyophilization modelling of a mannitol water solution are covered in detail. The effects of the small scale of the laboratory device with respect to a correct definition of boundary conditions for the numerical simulations are described, especially t