CFD-Based and Experimental Hydrodynamic Characterization of the Single-Use Bioreactor XcellerexTM XDR-10

Understanding the hydrodynamic conditions in bioreactors is of utmost importance for the selection of operating conditions during cell culture process development. In the present study, the two-phase flow in the lab-scale single-use bioreactor XcellerexTM XDR-10 is characterized for working volumes from 4.5 L to 10 L, impeller speeds from 40 rpm to 360 rpm, and sparging with two different microporous spargers at rates from 0.02 L min−1 to 0.5 L min−1. The numerical simulations are performed with the one-way coupled Euler–Lagrange and the Euler–Euler models. The results of the agitated liquid height, the mixing time, and the volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficient are compared to experiments. For the unbaffled XDR-10, strong surface vortex formation is found for the maximum impeller speed. To support the selection of suitable impeller speeds for cell cultivation, the surface vortex formation, the average turbulence energy dissipation rate, the hydrodynamic stress, and the mixing time are analyzed and discussed. Surface vortex formation is observed for the maximum impeller speed. Mixing times are below 30 s across all conditions, and volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficients of up to 22.1 h−1 are found. The XDR-10 provides hydrodynamic conditions which are well suited for the cultivation of animal cells, despite the unusual design of a single bottom-mounted impeller and an unbaffled cultivation bioreactor.

Hydrodynamic characteristics of lateral withdrawal with effects of the slope ratio

Lateral withdrawal is widely performed in water transfer and water supply projects. Hydrodynamic characteristics of intake are crucial to safe and stable operation. In this study, a 3-D numerical volume of fluid model was established and validated through experimental tests. Hydrodynamic characteristics and secondary flow were investigated under scenarios with the vertical slope and different slope ratios. The helix-shaped recirculation and surface vortex are generated, and the secondary flow near the surface layer is more serious. Adding a slope ratio is beneficial to improve the flow patterns and recirculation, while the surface vortex width increases. Additionally, with the decrease in the slope ratio, recirculation width and the ratio of recirculation to the width of the layer decrease, and the minimum values are 9.19 cm and 22.97%, respectively. However, the lower the slope ratio is, the greater recirculation inhibition affects are, and the more serious the surface vortex is. With the decrease in the slope ratio, the widest surface vortex width and the ratio of the widest surface vortex to the width of the layer increase from 6.1 to 12 cm and from 7.82 to 17.14%, respectively. This research represents an advance in lateral withdrawal and provides support for further designs.

An analytical model for vortex at vertical intakes

In the present paper, free surface vortex formation at intakes is investigated analytically. By assuming a spiral form for vortex streamlines, continuity and momentum equations were integrated and solved in a vortex flow domain. From this solution, velocity and pressure distributions were found above the intake under vortex action. An equation for the water surface profile was also found and compared with another research. By considering that in an air core vortex, pressure at the intake entrance drops to zero, a relationship was found for critical submerged depth and verified by experimental data and another analytical equation. It was concluded that the results of the proposed spiral analytical model had good agreement with the experimental data.

Numerical Simulation to Investigate the Occurrence of Vortices at Double Vertical Pumps Intakes

The pumping station is widely used in our modern life. The occurrence of the vortex at pumpsump, which is causing air entering pipe intake, is a common problem in the design of pumps. Thisphenomenon, including surface and sub-surface vortex, may lead to damage to the pumping structure, highpower consumption, and loss in pump performance. In some requirements, the multiple suction pipes areusing to get the required flow. Due to this arrangement, the performance of the suction pipes will influence.This paper is aimed to investigate the occurrence of vortices around the flow pattern of two pumps by usingComputational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) code Fluent. This CFD model is based on solving Navier-Stockequations by finite volume method. The model of double suction pipes was investigated under five differentsubmergence depth (S) and five different suction velocities (v). The SST k-ω turbulence model was selectedfor the turbulence. The results showed that the air entering vortex does not appear when the submergencedepth (S) is equal or greater than 1.5 times from the diameter of the bellmouth for intake pipe (D). Thesurface vortex appeared obviously when the submergence depth (S) equals to 1.25D and the Froude numberat the bell is equal to or greater than 1.028, and appeared clearly when the (S/D=1) and Froude number isequal to or more than 0.77. The nearer attached wall vortex does not appear when the space from the centerof the suction pipe to the sidewall (C) equals 2 times of bell diameter.