Fluid dynamics and oxygen transport in a micro-bioreactor with a tissue engineering scaffold

The flow environment in the micro-bioreactor with a tissue engineering scaffold was numerically modeled. The finite volume method based on multi-block grid was applied to simulate the coupled flow and oxygen transport in both porous medium and homogenous fluid regions. At porous–fluid interface, a stress jump condition that includes both viscous and inertial effects was imposed. A parametric study was performed to investigate the effects of Reynolds, Darcy, and Damkohler numbers on the flow and oxygen concentration fields inside and outside the scaffold. The minimum oxygen concentration in the scaffold and its location under different conditions were summarized.