Physikalische Mathematik

Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, an Analysis of the Interfacial Force Influence on a Bubble Column′s Simulated Oxygen Transfer

Abstract

Deniz Pratumwal*

The usage of pneumatic bioreactors in bioprocesses is on the rise because they offer adequate heat and mass transmission, quick mixing, and effective solids suspension. In this study, oxygen transport from a bubble column bioreactor with a square cross section was studied numerically and experimentally using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and the outcomes were compared to experimental data. In the numerical simulations employing the two-fluid Eulerian model, several specific air flow rates (1.0, 3.0, and 5.0 vvm) as well as drag and lift interfacial forces were taken into account. The simulations that took lift force into account produced results that were more in line with the experimental data, with the greatest values of kLa being discovered for the higher specific air flow rate (5 vvm) that was examined in this work.