Deeper Understanding of Mixing and Mass Transfer in Aerated Stirred Tank Reactors for Biopharmaceutical Processes through Trajectory-Based Modelling
Michael Schlüter, Institute of Multiphase Flows, Hamburg University of Technology, Germany
Efficient pharmaceutical manufacturing requires a detailed understanding of flow, mixing, and transport phenomena in aerated stirred tank reactors (STR). Local hydrodynamics strongly affect mass transfer, gas dispersion, nutrient distribution, cell stress, and ultimately process performance and product quality. The complex interaction of turbulent flow, multiphase phenomena, and biological systems makes process characterization and scale-up particularly challenging. This lecture presents recent advances in experimental and computational tools for analysing mixing and transfer processes in aerated STRs and SMART Reactors. Particular emphasis is placed on trajectory-based models that track the local environments experienced by cells, bubbles, and particles, enabling the quantification of process-relevant heterogeneities beyond conventional averaged approaches. By combining detailed simulations with experiments in a transparent 15000L replica of an aerated STR on production scale, these approaches support a more predictive understanding of pharmaceutical mixing and mass transfer processes and facilitate the development of more efficient and scalable manufacturing technologies.
This work is partly funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – SFB 1615 – 503850735.
Deeper Understanding of Mixing and Mass Transfer in Aerated Stirred Tank Reactors for Biopharmaceutical Processes through Trajectory-Based Modelling
Michael Schlüter, Institute of Multiphase Flows, Hamburg University of Technology, Germany
Efficient pharmaceutical manufacturing requires a detailed understanding of flow, mixing, and transport phenomena in aerated stirred tank reactors (STR). Local hydrodynamics strongly affect mass transfer, gas dispersion, nutrient distribution, cell stress, and ultimately process performance and product quality. The complex interaction of turbulent flow, multiphase phenomena, and biological systems makes process characterization and scale-up particularly challenging. This lecture presents recent advances in experimental and computational tools for analysing mixing and transfer processes in aerated STRs and SMART Reactors. Particular emphasis is placed on trajectory-based models that track the local environments experienced by cells, bubbles, and particles, enabling the quantification of process-relevant heterogeneities beyond conventional averaged approaches. By combining detailed simulations with experiments in a transparent 15000L replica of an aerated STR on production scale, these approaches support a more predictive understanding of pharmaceutical mixing and mass transfer processes and facilitate the development of more efficient and scalable manufacturing technologies.
This work is partly funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – SFB 1615 – 503850735.
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