Perspectives of computational fluid dynamics methods in the study of membrane processes

Abstract

In the mathematical modeling of membrane processes, the study of the structural features of the membranes used and the significant limitation of information in the formal description of their separation properties led to the development of physical models that take into account not only the structural features of real membranes, but also their functioning features. When compiling physical models of membrane processes, it is impossible to objectively carry out a quantitative accounting of most factors due to their great diversity and variability, which distances the mathematical model far from the real process. This is why CFD methods reliably and efficiently perform calculations for all physical models and types, including steady or transient flow, incompressible or compressible flow (from small subsonic to hypersonic), laminar or turbulent flow simulations, Newtonian or non-Newtonian fluids, ideal or real gas . The authors analyzed the possibility of using CFD to calculate the hydrodynamics of flows in a membrane bioreactor based on hollow fibers. Safarov R.R. etc., an electronic geometric model of the installation was built, mesh geometry with different densities was selected to optimize the calculation time and solution accuracy for a specific case, the kinetic dependence of cell growth was calculated, the flow rates of the nutrient medium into the intrafiber and interfiber spaces of the bioreactor were determined, and the hydrodynamic conditions were analyzed. All of the above confirms the prospects for using CFD methods for modeling membrane processes complicated by culturing cells on the surface of membranes.