Optimize the structure of air sparger for stirred bioreactor

During the whole process of cell culture, it needs enough air, especially oxygen supply. Therefore, the research about air sparger became significant. There are many influence factors of air sparger are important, including air sparger structure, installation location, ventilation rate. In order to solve these problems, the finite element numerical calculation is used to set a numerical model of air-liquid two-phase flow. This analysis makes clear that the distance between air vent and the bottom of bioreactor has little effect on the air voids, and the air voids is higher by adopting the structure of single air vent compared with the one of distribution ring structure. But the ventilation structure of big distribution ring avoids flooding effectively. The air voids of bioreactor increased with the velocity of ventilation is increased within limits. However, it causes air incomplete dispersion in bioreactor, overflowing from head top of the liquid, flooding and low air voids, if the ventilation velocity is over speed.