Computational modeling of fluid motion and mass transfer in a rocking bioreactor with application to cultivated meat production

Rocking or wave-mixed bioreactors have emerged as a promising innovation in the production of cultivated meat due to their disposable nature, low operating costs, and scalability. However, despite these advantages, the performance of rocking bioreactors is not well characterized in view of their relatively short history in the market and the wide range of geometrical and operating parameters. In the present study we develop a rigorous computational framework for this multiphase, multi-physics system to quantitatively evaluate mixing, oxygen transfer, and shear stress within a rectangular rocking bioreactor under various operating conditions. This framework is implemented using the Basilisk open-source platform. We use a second-order finite volume Navier–Stokes solver and a volume-of-fluid interface reconstruction scheme to accurately resolve the highly nonlinear fluid motion. By solving the advection–diffusion equation for a multi-fluid system, we examine mixing time and the oxygen mass transfer coefficient ($k_{L}a$) for different operating conditions, both of which show a strong relationship with steady streaming underlying the instantaneous laminar flow. We further highlight two critical hydrodynamic phenomena that significantly influence bioreactor performance. Firstly, we investigate the transitional regime from laminar to turbulent flow. Moreover, we identify specific operating conditions that trigger resonance within the bioreactor, enhancing mixing and oxygen transfer. We finally discuss the potential effects of shear stress and energy dissipation rate on cell survival. Our findings are expected to provide valuable insights and guidelines for designing optimized bioreactors to support the next-generation cultivated meat industry pipelines.