Oxygen Mass Transfer in Biopharmaceutical Processes: Numerical and Experimental Approaches

Oxygen supply in aerobic bioprocesses is of crucial importance. For this reason, this paper presents the oxygen demand of different cells and summarizes experimental and numerical possibilities for the determination of oxygen transfer in bioreactors. The focus lies on the volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficient (kLa) calculation using computational fluid dynamics and state-of-the-art models for surface-aerated and forced-aerated bioreactors. In addition, experimental methods for the determination of the kLa value and the gas bubble size distribution are presented.