Revisiting the Effect of U-Bends, Flow Parameters, and Feasibility for Scale-Up on Residence Time Distribution Curves for a Continuous Bioprocessing Oscillatory Baffled Flow Reactor

An oscillatory baffled flow reactor (OBR) has been designed with 60 interbaffled cells. The baffled columns of 40 mm internal diameter together result in a reactor length of 5740 mm. The oscillatory amplitude and frequency were in the range of 2-12 mm and 0.3-2 Hz, respectively. The report investigates the impact of U-bends and the number of reactor sections on axial dispersion for scale-up feasibility. A prediction model using operating parameters has been developed to maximize plug flow conditions using the tanks-in-series (TiS) model. The maximum TiS value was 13.38 in a single column compared to 43.68 in the full reactor at a velocity ratio of 2.27 using oscillatory parameters 8 mm and 0.3 Hz. The mixing efficiency along the reactor was found to decrease after each column at amplitudes <6 mm compared to amplitudes up to 12 mm, where a negligible impact was observed. U-bend geometry had a significant role in the decrease of TiS values.