Volume 42, Issue 8 pp. 1702-1708
Research Article

Optimization of the Impeller Design for Mesenchymal Stem Cell Culture on Microcarriers in Bioreactors

Céline Loubière

Céline Loubière

Université de Lorraine, Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des Procédés, CNRS, LRGP, 54000 Nancy, France

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Angélique Delafosse

Angélique Delafosse

Université de Liège, Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Allée de la Chimie 3, B6C, 4000 Liège, Belgium

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Emmanuel Guedon

Emmanuel Guedon

Université de Lorraine, Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des Procédés, CNRS, LRGP, 54000 Nancy, France

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Dominique Toye

Dominique Toye

Université de Liège, Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Allée de la Chimie 3, B6C, 4000 Liège, Belgium

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Isabelle Chevalot

Isabelle Chevalot

Université de Lorraine, Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des Procédés, CNRS, LRGP, 54000 Nancy, France

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Eric Olmos

Corresponding Author

Eric Olmos

Université de Lorraine, Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des Procédés, CNRS, LRGP, 54000 Nancy, France

Correspondence: Eric Olmos ([email protected]), Université de Lorraine, Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des Procédés, CNRS, LRGP, 54000 Nancy, France.Search for more papers by this author
First published: 07 May 2019
Citations: 9

Abstract

When agitating mesenchymal stem cells adhered on microcarriers in bioreactors, a compromise has to be found between sufficient particle suspension and limitation of hydromechanical stresses. The present study proposes a strategy to improve the design of an ‘elephant ear' impeller at the just-suspended state by varying its relative size, blade slope angle, and position in the reactor. To do that, computational fluid dynamics simulations were coupled with multi-objective optimization to minimize the hydromechanical stress encountered by the microcarriers. Two minimization criteria were considered: (P/V)@p and the energy dissipation function EDC. On the basis of 31 conditions, an optimal impeller geometry is proposed.

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