Fluidization dynamics and mass transfer in a jet-driven bioreactor for artificial liver system

Liquid-solid fluidized beds have been applied in the field of bioreactors for artificial liver systems. In this work, the coupling approach of computational fluid dynamics and discrete element method (CFD-DEM) is employed to numerically study the fluidization characteristics and mass transfer mechanism in an impinging-jet-driven bioreactor. The effects of microcapsule density, microcapsule size, and flow rate are investigated. The results show that the bed expansion is proportional to the inlet flow rate and inversely proportional to the microcapsule density and size. The porosity distribution indicates a dead flow zone at the bottom of the bioreactor, which shrinks with the increase of inlet velocity and expands with the increase of microcapsule size and microcapsule density. In addition, the interphase mass transfer model is developed to describe the concentration transport between microcapsules and blood, and explore the mass transfer mechanism.