Computational Fluid Dynamics for Advanced Characterisation of Bioreactors Used in the Biopharmaceutical Industry: Part II: Case Studies

The first part of this series on characterisation of bioreactors in the biopharmaceutical industry using computational fluid dynamics presented a literature review to illustrate how characterisation can be performed and which process engineering parameters can be determined using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In addition, experimental validation methods were presented, and an overview of typical hardware and software was also provided. In this second part, a selection of the authors’ research results will be used to demonstrate how the process characterisation of mechanically driven bioreactors for the biopharmaceutical industry can be determined with CFD and then experimentally validated. Three stirred tank bioreactors with different filling volumes and stirrers were used to demonstrate power input and oxygen transfer in single- and two-phase simulations. For wave-mixed and orbitally shaken systems, the fluid flow was transiently simulated and experimentally validated. In addition, the power input was also determined for both systems.