Computational Modeling of Wave Bioreactors via Open-Source CFD Software

Rocking wave bioreactors were developed in the late 1990s as a means of culturing cells in a low-shear stress environment. More recently, this class of reactors have been considered for use in the production of cultivated meat. Here we present the results of modelling and multi-physics computational fluid dynamics simulations of a rocking wave bioreactor developed in the open-source package Basilisk (http://basilisk.fr). We use a centered finite volume Navier-Stokes solver and a volume-of-fluid (VOF) interface reconstruction method, with adaptive mesh refinement capabilities. The simulations also solve the advection-diffusion equation for a tracer representing oxygen transport through the growth medium. Our results are compared to prior experimental and computational studies of fluid motion and mixing timescales in rocking wave bioreactors. We finally discuss future extensions of this work, focusing on the needs of the burgeoning cultivated meat industry.